Most Peculiar
by CursedRedRose
Summary: Historical AU. The year is 1905. The city is London. Wally West is one of the brightest rising stars among the detectives of the London police force whilst Jinx is the famed leader of one of the city's most feared gangs. When their paths cross at a London hotel, both their worlds are shaken to the core with dramatic results for both of them. Flinx with some Robstar too
1. Chapter 1

_So I went and Flinxed again, sorry not sorry. I've been wanting to do an historical AU for a while now and this is what I came up with set in the Edwardian era. Please leave a review!_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.**_

The young woman sat alone as the rain beat against the long window. The little grey light that trickled into the shrouded room fell on her pale skin, making it gleam the colour of the moon outside that cowered behind the thunderclouds that rolled past it. The fingers of her left hand drummed on the arm rest of the antique wooden chair she was sitting in, the dark wood carved to look like tumbling leaves, whilst her other hand hovered near her black lace parasol which was leaning against her leg. She sighed impatiently through gritted teeth as the rain poured down the window like tears. They were never back on time.

She heard the door rattle behind her and she turned towards it. Her head was covered by a wide-brimmed black hat that had all her hair pinned up underneath it so nobody could make out what it looked like. It was decorated with coils of black lace and long black crow feathers that shone dully in the dim light and attached to it was a black veil that hid her face. She drew herself upwards as the door swung open and a number of nosy bodies tumbled into the room arguing with each other. The moment they saw her standing there, they all fell silent. Even though she didn't stand very tall, her very presence was imposing as she shifted her parasol from one hand to the other, leaning on it like it was a gentleman's cane. She was dressed from head to toe in black lace like she was in mourning, the only traces of her naturally pale grey skin being her hands and a small sliver of neck under her veil. The five men shuffled their feet as they waited for her to speak.

"Well?" She said, her voice hard as stone. "What do you have for me?"

They all seemed reluctant to come forwards and she hissed in frustration as she surveyed the thugs that made up her fearsome gang. There was Gizmo, a short little runt of a boy dressed in scrappy clothes with a ragged scarf around his neck and big glass goggles perched on his head like a second pair of eyes. His fingers and face bore burn marks, evidence of his mechanical skill. It was obvious he didn't have much in the way of strength but the way the others stood behind him showed how his brains more than made up for it. Behind him, blocking her view of the door with his sheer bulk was Mammoth who was clenching his giant square jaw and hiding his fists in the pockets of his shabby yellow and black suit. He was the opposite of Gizmo in almost every way; whist he was as strong as an ox and could lift almost anything they wanted to steal, his beady black eyes looked out on the world with the same intelligence of a rodent. Seymour stood next to him, almost engulfed by his shadow. He had dark skin the colour of the wood on her chair and a thick bandage wrapped around his left eye. He had lost that eye in a factory accident when he was a child but the loss of one eye had caused the other to grow larger to try to compensate. His right eye was about twice the size of a regular eye, round as a penny and was coloured a deep emerald green. She could feel it watching her with a mix of fear and awe as she moved. By his side was Billy who was usually chortling in his thick accent and hooting along to himself but was now silent and avoiding her eyes. He wore a red cap perched on the top of his long face and his clothes consisted of only red and black. The final member in the line-up was Wycked-although they were all sure that wasn't his real name, that was what he insisted they call him through sign language as he was mute. Most of the time the guys ignored this and called him Kid as he was the newest member but by no means the weakest as the way he could move without making a single noise had proved very useful in the past. He also had pale skin though it wasn't grey and his eyes were a bright hazel colour that in the dark seemed to glow red. He was dressed all in black and had gloves covering his hands and a black cap pulled down low over his face. They were the HIVE 5, a gang of thugs that terrorised the city of London but they had nowhere near as dreaded and respected a reputation as their leader. Whilst they were merely feared, she was notorious.

As none of them answered her, she gave a louder hiss and saw them flinch. "What? Have you all managed to lose your tongues?" She snapped at them. "Did you find him or didn't you?"

"We found him alright." Gizmo finally answered her. "Biggest crud-muncher in the whole of England."

"Don't just limit it to that." Seymour added, wincing when he heard a snarl come from under the veil. They could only just see the outline of her eyes but he could see how they were smouldering with fury.

"Good. So you found him then." She said sharply as they all nodded. "That stupid carnival magician of a con man messed with us for far too long. He shouldn't have got in our way." She rapped the tip of her parasol against the bare wooden floor and asked them "Is he dead?"

They all looked awkwardly at each other as the air in the room appeared to turn to ice. They all froze under her frosty stare as her lip curled. Eventually it was Mammoth who took the plunge. "No."

She seemed to erupt in anger, her body shook as she screamed. The sound came flying out from under the veil like bats escaping a cave and all of her teammates recoiled from her. Billy squealed and leapt up in the air, narrowly avoiding landing on Wycked who deftly dodged out of the way and caught him. She strode over to them and even Mammoth gulped when they heard her growling.

"He's still alive?!" She fumed, flouncing around and stomping back to the window. "You let him go?! What were you guys doing?!"

"It wasn't our fault!" Gizmo protested, his voice getting higher and more shriek. "We would have had him if One-Eye here hadn't fallen for his dumb illusion trick!"

"Hey!" Seymour went red in anger as he faced the smirking boy. "I may only have one eye but it's ten times better than yours! I could have seen that he was going to punch you a mile off but you stood there like a dummy and didn't see it!"

"Shut up, at least he didn't wreck that hotel room…" Billy snorted whilst glaring at Mammoth who cracked his knuckles and defiantly stared back. "That was really subtle."

"How's this for subtle?" Mammoth raised a fist ready to slam it into Billy's face but a shout of "Enough!" made him stop. They all turned back to face their leader who reached a hand up to her head and tore her hat away, letting it flutter down to the floor. It released a mane of wavy hair that was a bright shade of pink, the colour of blossom petals. With her veil ripped away, her pink cat-like eyes blazed at them from her pale face that was surprisingly pretty and youthful for the weeds she wore. Her cheeks were flushed rosy pink with anger as she pressed her lips firmly together.

"I should have known I couldn't trust you fools with anything!" She snarled, fighting the urge to clout them all round the head. She instead lashed out at the chair and knocked it over before letting out another low sigh. She then spun round and faced them again, pointing her parasol at them like it was a sword. They all looked at it nervously as she stepped forwards. "Anything else you would like to tell me?" She asked them, her tone sounding polite but they all detected the steely tone beneath it.

"Yes!" Seymour suddenly perked up. "He's staying at the old Academy Hotel! You know, the one that is falling around the guest's ears? It's a crummy place-"

"Where it will be easy to slip away unnoticed." She said as a wicked smile spread on her face. "Thank you Seymour." She watched a pleased blush appear on his cheeks and turned to the rest of them. "I should have known you lot would mess this up." She hissed as she walked back to the window, staring out into the rain intently like her fortune would be shown in the streaming raindrops. She ran a wistful hand through her free-flowing hair before she began to pin it back up. "If you want a job done, you have to do it yourself." She told herself. She should have known that from the start when she had sent them out to do this.

She turned back to them and gave another smile, one that would have sent any man running for his life if it was meant for him. "Don't worry, I'll show him why my name is feared across this city," She purred as she ran one finger down her parasol. "His magic tricks won't be able to save him from me."


	2. Chapter 2

_Next chapter up! This is where I'm introducing most of the other Titans so please enjoy! I've tried to make it as historically accurate as possible especially with the language but I did use some artistic license here to try and keep as much of their characters as I could, not that anyone will want to check…leave a review please!_

Wally West stepped out of the wooden cab and into the breezy morning air. He felt it ruffle through his long red overcoat and he pulled it closer to him, cursing the bitter wind that still plagued the air, despite winter being almost over. He turned and placed a few coins into the open hand of the cab driver who was trying to steady his agitated bay mare. They clinked together into his palm and the man closed his fingers around them quickly and leered at the building across the road.

"There's a bad air around this place." He grumbled to the young man who quickly hopped out of the rickety carriage and faced his destination. "I've never liked it around here and neither does old Bertha here." He patted the horse gently and shot a filthy look across the road. "You'd best get out of here fast as you can, young man."

"I don't think I have much of a choice." He answered lightly as it trotted away. He crossed the road briskly and stood in front of the flaking building, staring up at it as a shiver went through him that he was sure had nothing to do with the cold. Like the old man, he had a bad feeling about this place but unlike almost anybody else, that filled him with excitement not fear. Wally West lived on danger and in his line of work, there was plenty of it to go around.

He scrutinised the place and nothing about it made him want to enter. The Academy Hotel was positioned right on the corner of one of London's busiest streets but it looked like it was ready to crumble to the ground. It was a substantial size, towering above most of the other buildings that cowered in its wake but that only made it feel more perilous. The white exterior was peeling away revealing a dirty smoky white underneath and at least three windows he could see were cracked. The wooden doors looked bruised from years of being punched and kicked open and a ragged mat begged people to walk all over it like it wanted to be put out of its misery. He could hear some yelling coming from one of the upper floors that punctuated the constant banging of doors. It was obvious the place was on its last legs but it was still stubbornly continuing. It reminded him of an old man about to make his last breath and frankly he didn't think anybody at the detective's department of the Metropolitan police would be sorry to see the plug pulled on the wreck. He knew this place had been at the centre of trouble for years, a stinking hole where many criminals came to fester. He pulled a telegram from his coat pocket and read the simple message that meant only one thing. Murder.

He tucked the crinkly paper back into his pocket and adjusted the fedora that was squashing his bright red hair. Wally was known among all the London detective's for being a bit of a show-off and what he wore only reinforced it. His fedora was red with a yellow band and it was decorated with a gold pin in the shape of a lightning bolt, the symbol of his mentor Barry Allen. His long overcoat, which he wore as he enjoyed how flamboyantly it swished around when he moved, was red and his suit trousers were brown, worn with a red waistcoat and a necktie the colour of mustard. He didn't look anything like a typical police officer and he was proud of that because he wasn't just any police officer. He had been trained as a detective by one of the greatest in the world and was one of the best in the department already despite having been there only a few months. He was determined that one day, all criminals would tremble at the name of Wallace West and nobody doubted that he could accomplish that.

His round blue eyes surveyed the scene with the eagerness of a puppy straining at its leash and he smiled broadly. He heard a shout from behind him which made him turn around and grin at his approaching friend who gave him a wave as he crossed the road to meet him.

"Dick!" He called out as he reached him and they warmly shook hands. "It's been a while, what have you been up to?"

"Business." Dick Grayson shrugged off the question like Wally knew he would. Dick was too much of a professional and a stickler for the rules to reveal anything about the various cases he had been working on. The two of them had known each other from a young age as their mentors, Barry Allen and Bruce Wayne also knew each other. Whilst they were great friends, it was clear to see they were very different. Whilst Wally had a giant grin on his face, Dick's smile was more reserved and business-like as he examined the front of the building. Though they were the same age and build they also looked very different; Dick's hair was ebony black compared with the bright red colour of his friend's, his eyes were a muted blue-green and were usually staring narrowly at something and his sack suit was all black, except for his tie which was blood red. He also carried a grey cane which looked innocent enough but Wally knew it could do a lot of damage in his hands. His jaw was set in a grim line and Wally heard him suck in a breath. "So this is where it happened? It looks like a pit. It's going to be difficult to get information here what with the place being full of criminals only looking to cover their own backs."

"Since when has difficulty ever stopped us?" Wally asked him and Dick chuckled as they made to go inside. They opened the doors and stepped into the tired empty hallway which was bare apart from the wooden desk that stood in front of a wall studded with keys. The wallpaper was a beige colour that reminded Wally of sick and the carpet was almost ragged. It certainly wasn't a welcoming place

"It hasn't yet, my old friend," Dick said as both their keen eyes racked the room. "And it won't do here. When was the last time we worked together?"

"It was back when Bruce was in town." Wally said and his friend's face went into a slight frown. Whilst the relationship between Wally and Barry had been close so they became almost like father and son, Bruce and Dick's had been far more tempestuous. Wally almost regretted bringing him up. He knew Bruce had been very strict with Dick and many, even Barry, had thought he had been too hard on him. He had produced a great detective but he often wondered at what cost. He quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, do you have anything on this guy who was killed? I got next to nothing from the station."

"He goes by the name Mumbo, though he likes to style himself Mumbo the Magnificent." Dick replied seamlessly and Wally wasn't surprised that he knew; he always seemed to know everything. "He was a con-man, nothing very big but he was known for being a master illusionist. It's why so many people fell for his tricks, he made anything seem possible. The word on the street is he tried to con the wrong people and got involved with something very sticky but I won't know what until I see him."

"Right." Wally affirmed just before he knocked into someone dashing past and nearly sent them bowling over. He quickly scrambled to his feet and Dick whipped around quickly and held up his cane ready for a fight only for them both to be confronted by a pair of startled bright green eyes.

"Oh I am very sorry!" A bright but worried voice burst out. "I did not mean to run into you like that, I was very much in a rush…"

The voice belonged to a tall young woman with long auburn hair that spilled from underneath a reporter's cap, very tanned skin that looked almost orange and a heavy silver choker around her long elegant neck. She was dressed boyishly in a white shirt with a light purple jacket and trousers and she had matching silver bracelets around her wrists. She was clutching a notebook in her hands like she was waiting for them to try and snatch it from her and her wide eyes, like those of a doe, looked at them with concern.

"Don't worry, we're fine, there's no harm done." Wally assured her with a winning smile that made her give one in return. Meanwhile Dick was staring at her in surprise, his eyes locked onto her face. "I'm Wallace West and this is my colleague and friend Richard Grayson. We are detectives. Who are you and what's a lovely young lady like you doing here anyway?"

The blatant flirting earned him a stern look from Dick but made the girl laugh. "That is good. My name is Kori Anderson and I am a reporter for the Star newspaper. I am here because there was news of a murder. You must be the ones investigating it, may I have a-"

"I'm sorry Miss Anderson," Dick said suddenly, cutting her off. "But we have to go and investigate this scene now. This is serious police business and I would recommend you leave. This is no place for a lady. We wouldn't want you to get hurt." He looked at her firmly, a look that would have made most people obey instantly, but to both of their surprise she stared straight back at him defiantly.

"You do not have to worry about me Mr Grayson," She insisted as she walked past them down one of the winding corridors that split off from the hallway. "I am perfectly capable of protecting myself even if I am a lady." Wally saw his friend's face go red when she stressed the last word and he had to bite his cheek to stop himself from laughing. "Perhaps I will talk with you both later. See you then my friends." She shot them one last pretty smile and a wave before she disappeared around a corner. Dick stared wordlessly after her for a few moments before he caught sight of Wally raising his eyebrows at him and he made an exasperated huffing noise.

"Let's go find the room." He quickly asserted before Wally could comment. "The team should already be up there. The room number is 13."

"How unlucky for him." Wally replied but Dick only grunted in response. Already thinking of how he could tease him about the lovely Miss Anderson later, Wally followed him down the winding maze of corridors for a few minutes in silence before they reached a door that had been tied off with rope. A brass plaque that was in serious need of polishing hung from the scuffed door, bearing the number 13 and they could hear movement from inside.

"Police." Dick called out as he knocked on the door and they heard a call from inside to enter. Wally tried the doorknob and it stiffly yielded, allowing them to enter. They filed in and the door closed willingly behind them as they took in the crime scene.

The room was simply done with plain furniture that consisted of a wooden bed, a pair of spindly chairs and a table and white walls that showed up every mark made by previous guests. These were walls that could tell a thousand tales, Wally thought as they walked in, and it would be next to impossible to tell if any of them had been made during the actual murder. The first thing that was obvious about the scene was that there had been a fight. The bed was on its side and the white bedding lay gnashed and torn around it like spilling entrails. There was an oval mirror on the wall that had been obliterated and little sparkles of silver clung to the worn carpet. The table had been broken in two and was crumpled against a wall with the chairs bent next to it like squashed insects. Wally looked over at them and frowned.

"Why does one of them only have three legs?" He asked Dick, pointing at the splintered stump.

Dick's only response was to nod downwards towards the middle of the room where a white shroud had been laid over a strangely-shaped lump. There was a great spike at one end of the lump and Wally stared at it with a gulp.

"Is that really…"

"It is." A deep voice came from the other side of the room where a small washbasin had been temporarily set up. They heard splashing as huge muscular hands dived into the water to wash away the blood and as he dried them, the tall figure turned around to face them. The man was about a foot taller than the two of them with broad shoulders and powerful limbs that looked like they could bend steel. His skin and eyes were a warm brown colour and his head was completely bald. His trousers and the suit jacket he had draped on a stand by the washbasin were metallic grey but the waistcoat and long apron he wore over his white shirt were electric blue. He had his sleeves rolled up to the elbows and Wally saw he had some small burn marks that marred his skin.

He gave them a welcoming smile as he stepped over to them. "You're the detectives they sent, right?" When they nodded, he extended his just dried hand for them both to shake. "I'm Victor Stone, I've only just finished the autopsy on the victim so you've made perfect time."

"Glad to hear it." Dick smiled back as they shook hands. "Dick Grayson and this is my good friend Wallace West."

"Call me Wally." He said as Victor turned to him and gave a laugh.

"Sure thing, call me Vic. We hardly need to be formal around a body, do we?"

"What can you tell us about this body?" Dick asked, getting straight to the point.

Victor crouched down next to the white lump and pulled back the white sheet, folding it at the waist. The body was that of an old man with wispy white hair above his ears and mouth and his skin was an almost pale green colour that had gone light grey in death. His papery eyelids were closed and his mouth was frozen open in an expression of shock. He was wearing a shiny black suit with tails and a giant red collar with a yellow flower in the buttonhole that gave all the appearance of a cheap carnival magician. Wally's eyes took this all in but, even though he was expecting it, they still widened a little when he saw what the cause of death was. Impaled in the neck of Mumbo the Magnificent was the missing chair leg which had been forced deep into his throat. There was blood dried all over his neck and dribbles of it on his white shirt. Maybe it was a good thing the collar was red, Wally thought as Dick shook his head slowly next to him.

"What a way to go." He voiced aloud.

"I know." Victor agreed with a solemn nod. "It's twisted. He's also got quite a bit of bruising-there was a proper fight here." They all looked around the room as if they were waiting for the walls to speak.

"Has anybody come forwards about this? If there was such a big brawl in here, surely people would have heard." Dick said but Victor was already shaking his head.

"In places like this, nobody hears anything." He stated whilst he put the cloth back over the body of Mumbo and stood back up. "I sent somebody round all the rooms to collect statements but they've had no luck so far."

"Somebody?" Dick's brow creased up as he looked up at him. "Who?"

"Oh, the local bobby around these parts." Victor looked at their confused faces. "Nobody mentioned it? He's a new kid, very eager. Look, here he comes now."

They both spun around as the door opened and another younger man walked in. He looked barely older than a boy as he only came up to their chins and was as skinny as a rake with long limbs that swung like pendulums when he walked over. He had blonde hair that stuck out messily like a bird's nest from underneath his hat and his eyes were wide and green as moss. He was wearing the traditional police uniform but with heavy grey boots. He looked at the pair of them with surprise at first before he gave them a salute and a smile that showed off all of his white teeth. One of the ones at the front had been badly chipped so it was pointed like a fang and it stuck out from the rest, slightly protruding above his bottom lip though it was barely noticeable.

"Hello Sirs! Garfield Logan at your service!" He cried out, clicking the heels of his boots together so enthusiastically he nearly fell over. He blinked at them a couple of times in awe before he said "Are you Dick Grayson and Wallace West?"

"Err…yes." Dick replied, uncertain how to respond to the pure joy that appeared in the boy's shining eyes. "You were out collecting statements weren't you?"

"Yes I was!" he answered excitedly as he handed over a small stack of papers. "Wow, I can't believe I'm going to be working with you guys, you are both so amazing! I read all about that time when you captured the thief of Bow Street and when you took down that gang who were terrorising the Thames merchants…"

"Yes, thank you for these." Dick took them and went to the other side of the room to examine them. For a second, the boy looked crushed and Wally sighed at the conduct of his friend who was often so narrow-minded when it came to his cases that he couldn't see past the end of his nose. Wally took the outstretched hand of the boy and shook it.

"It's good to meet you Garfield, I'm sure the statements will be a help, you've taken a real weight from our shoulders. And as you're going to be helping, call me Wally."

"OK!" Garfield beamed at him. "Call me Gar."

"Wally, I need a minute." He heard Dick call over to him without turning around and with an apologetic look at the other two, Wally went over to him.

"You didn't have to be so rude, you know." He told him, keeping his voice low. "The kid's only trying to help. And he did save us a tedious job."

"Maybe but these statements are next to useless." Dick grumbled as he crossly shifted through the papers. "Vic was right; they all claim to have heard and seen nothing out of the ordinary. All covering their backsides as I suspected…though I have a good idea why."

"Go on." Wally said as they both took a glance at the covered body. Garfield appeared to have only just noticed it and his light skin was looking a little green.

"I heard a rumour from a very good source of mine that Miss Jinx was back in town." Dick whispered leaning closer to Wally's ear so there was no chance of them being over heard. "And this looks like one of her jobs. Quick, brutal, it all fits with her."

"Miss Jinx?" Wally frowned at his friend and tilted his head slightly. "Who's she?"

Dick let out a loud laugh when he saw the look on his face. "Oh right, you haven't encountered the HIVE Five before, have you? I have done so many rounds with them, I've lost count."

He then looked more serious and took his shoulders, forcing him to look him dead in the eyes. "Miss Jinx is one of the most wanted criminals in this city and one of the most dangerous. She the leader of this group of thugs called the HIVE Five and they are brutal thieves but they are nothing compared to her. She's so deadly, she makes other criminals around these parts quake in their boots. The thing is we know barely anything about her; nobody knows where she comes from or what she looks like except that she always wears black and she keeps her face covered. I've seen her only a few times and she's cold and ruthless through and through. All we know is the extent of her crimes and they make a list longer than my arm. If this is her like I think it could be, this just got a lot more serious."

"Like it wasn't already?" Wally pointed out but Dick just scowled.

"We'll have to be on the look-out for anything." He continued before warning him. "If it is her Wally, you need to be wary. I know how you are with women and I wouldn't put it past you to do something reckless."

"Me? How could you say such a thing?" Wally mocked being offended even though he knew there was more than a grain of truth in it. He had a bit of a reputation for being a flirt that he really couldn't help and also one for not following the rules with the same unmoving attitude that Dick had. They had argued about it before but it was something they couldn't help due to their different trainings. Where Barry Allen had been a little more lax, Bruce Wayne had always enforced the rules, even if it meant being pushed to the limit.

"Just promise me Wally," Dick said firmly. "Promise me that you won't do anything stupid."

"OK, I promise not to do anything stupid." Wally held his hands up like he was surrendering and rolled his eyes. "Happy now?"

"Happier." Dick said finally smiling as they turned back to the other two. "Garfield was there anybody at the front desk when you last saw it?"

"Err…yes, there was! There was a man there!" Garfield blurted out, almost jumping up and down as he spoke until Victor rested a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"Excellent, I need to talk with him." Dick replied with a nod. "We'll leave you to finish with Mumbo Vic. He shouldn't be much of a problem anymore."

"Not at all. I will see you down there." He answered before he went back over to the body and Garfield followed Dick out of the door and down the corridor. Wally was the last to exit and as he did he turned to close the door behind him. He was just about to run and catch up with the other two when he heard a gentle clink behind him. He turned around to see a few doors down there was the figure of a young woman bending over to pick up the key she had just dropped whilst struggling with two bulging carpet bags. She straightened up and noticed him instantly and within seconds he was by her side and had taken both bags from her hands.

"Oh! Thank you." She said, sounding very surprised that anyone had helped her and she looked up and down the corridor almost in alarm. "You really didn't need to do that."

"Well, I couldn't just stand by and watch you struggle. What kind of a gentleman would that make me?" He said with a smile and he heard her laughing. He looked at her face and it took all of his willpower not to stare with his mouth open at its beauty. Her skin was pale and smooth, as close to perfect whiteness as he had seen skin get and her cheeks were flushed a pale pink. Her eyes were nut brown and had an almost feline look to them as she gazed up at him and her angular face with its softly pointed chin was framed by delicate brown curls that fell from underneath her wide-brimmed silk hat which was trimmed with black flowers. Her plain day dress was black velvet and she was also wearing black lace gloves over her hands. For a moment, he managed to look away but as she opened the door he couldn't stop his eyes trailing to that lovely face. He had met tons of girls before and flirted with ones of every size, shape and standing but he had never seen one like her. "It was my pleasure."

She gave him a smile and said "I hope you're not expecting anything."

"Not at all." He said with a little bow and then flashing her a winning grin. "But if I could know the name of the pretty damsel I saved?"

"Saved?" She laughed out loud and the sound sent a pleasant chill through him. "I hardly think the door key was a threat to my life. But my name is Jane, Jane Hexelton. And you are…"

"Wallace West but do call me Wally." He handed her bags to her and she stepped into her room, turning a little so she could still listen to him. "I'm a detective, I'm investigating a murder that happened here last night."

"A murder? My goodness!" She turned away to put the bags down and when she faced him again there was shock on her face. "How awful!"

"Yes but there is no need to worry, myself and my friends will soon have this case wrapped up." He told her before a thought crossed his mind and wiped the smile from his face. "Say, are you alone? This place isn't really fit for a woman travelling by herself…"

"Thank you for your concern Mr West but I do this all the time." She said sweetly with a little flutter of her eyelids. "I can handle myself very well. Besides, if you and your friends wrap up the case like you say you will, there will be no need for me to worry, will there?"

"Well…I suppose when you put it that way…" Wally still felt a little uneasy about it but when he looked back at her face, he was sure he wasn't really thinking straight. It was the second time that day he had been told by a woman that she could handle herself and he really didn't want to put that to the test. "And please call me Wally. You know, if you have any worries about staying here, I'm only going to be down the hall. You could easily drop by. You never know when keys will attack."

She laughed again and he felt his face go as red as his hair. "I suppose. Don't worry, I'll call if I have any more key trouble…Wally." The sound of his name rolling from her tongue made him feel a little dizzy and he put his hand on the doorframe to stop him making any more of a fool of himself.

"Great." He was finally able to say. "I'm sure I will see you around Miss Jane Hexelton."

"Maybe." She said before she gave him a little wave and closed the door. He then turned and ran down the corridor as quickly as he could. He knew Dick would be angry with him for holding him up but his heart was singing. She's amazing, he thought as he made a huge leap into the air, this is like nothing I've ever known. However, there was still a sense of unease he felt deep in the pit of his stomach, like there was something about her that didn't quite fit but he pushed the thought away as it repeatedly niggled at him. It was nothing, he told himself as he caught sight of the others in the hallway. What could be that bad about her?


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you mean I have to stay here?!" Jinx spat furiously, her fingers shaking with rage as she gripped the phone piece that she held in front of her mouth. The moment she had heard the footsteps of that idiot detective leave the corridor she had opened up one of her heavy carpet bags and pulled out one of Gizmo's most successful inventions-a phone that folded up and could be used anywhere without a cord. He claimed that it would be big one day but, like most of the things he spouted about his inventions, the guys didn't pay much attention to it although they acknowledged the device was very useful. "Did anything I just said go through that thick skull of yours? There are detectives crawling around and I need to get out of here!"

"I'm sorry Jinx, really I am." Seymour answered and she had to admit, he sounded genuine. "But you only just registered and if the detective has already seen you there, it would look really suspicious if you left now and you can never afford to look suspicious. That's what you always tell us, remember?"

"Of course I remember!" She snapped through gritted teeth at hearing her own words being fired back at her. "But this is different! These are serious detectives, not your usual soppy lot but some of the best in the business. One of them is Dick Grayson for God's sake, I saw him! And the other one just tried to sweet-talk me!"

"You didn't fall for it, did you?" Seymour sounded worried and it took all she had not to scream at him.

"No I did not, who do you take me for?" She growled and she heard him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Jinx there's nothing more I'd like than to come and bust you out of there but it's too soon. I'll try and persuade the guys but it may take a while."

"Just do what you can." She said finally in her most deadly tone, hearing him gulp as she hung up and then started to crossly fold the phone back up. She used so much force she almost snapped it twice but Gizmo, after the third one she had broken in that way, had made this one out of the strongest stuff he could create in his lab. She then stuffed it back in her bag, burying it right at the bottom before she sat on the end of her rickety bed and huffed loudly. Great, she thought, I could be stuck here for potentially a whole week. Just my luck.

She gave the room a proper look for the first time since she had arrived and she already wanted to tear it apart. It was like she was already in jail but worse as she still had to worry about getting caught. She was also stuck wearing this stupid disguise too which she hated; there was a chalky dust on her skin to rid it of its grey hue that felt horrid and gritty on her skin, the contacts that Gizmo had designed to turn her eyes brown were making her eyes hurt and the wig was itchy. She let out an angry sigh as she took them off and stared at herself in the small mirror that hung on the opposite wall. She hated the idea of being trapped in this place for any more than a day let alone the whole week she had booked herself in for, thinking she would be gone in no time at all. If that stupid detective hadn't walked past… the walls loomed in and she suddenly felt claustrophobic. Normally she thrilled in this kind of game, a game of cat and mouse but usually she was the cat and she found she was hating being the mouse.

Trying to get her mind off of it, she cast it back to the previous night. It had been all too easy for her to find Mumbo the so-called Magnificent and break into his room, she thought he would have been more prepared. The look of absolute terror she had seen in his face had given her a lot of satisfaction and she felt a twinge of it now that made her smile slightly. She had no sympathy for the dumb old man, he was the one who decided to con them and it was his own fault he got caught. She had been planning to make his death quick and easy but he was the one who had put up a fight. She could see a corner of the black lace dress she had been wearing last night that had been torn in the process and she growled. He was lucky he only got a chair leg through the throat.

Still she didn't have to worry about him anymore; now she had to think of that stupid detective. Wally West, she pondered, a fitting name for such a first-class fool. She couldn't believe the way he had acted, a gentleman indeed. Pssh! She scowled even more deeply when she thought of that cocky smile he had given her. Who did he think she was, some giddy simpleton who would swoon at the sight of a handsome man? She deserved to be on the stage with the acting she had just pulled off, making out she was just another well-to-do young lady. She thought of him for a moment, his scarlet hair like fire and his crystal blue eyes…No, she was not going to dwell on that. She stood up crossly to get a grip on herself and realised that she had accidentally referred to him as handsome. So what if he was? She told herself as she went over to the mirror. It would be all put behind her when she was out of here and then he would really see how she could handle herself.

She went to put her wig and contacts back on but she found herself taking a long look in the mirror at the bright unnatural colour. She wished she didn't have to cover them up all the time as in a strange way they were quite pretty. She sighed and pulled on her disguise, trying to ignore the painful feelings that always came with concealing herself. She was a freak, a monster and this was all she was fit for. Jinx was bad, inside and out and these mutations only marked her for her purpose.

She looked back around the room and then at the two carpet bags on the floor, one of which held her parasol. She dug it out swiftly and swung it around in the air as her mind drifted to what she could do. The last thing she wanted was to stay in the cramped musty room but she wasn't entirely sure what it was proper for young ladies to do. She had never been part of society and never been taught etiquette as there was no such thing as manners in the criminal underworld. After a few minutes she decided to go for a walk. After all, despite the cold air it was a nice enough day and she might even see those detectives. She allowed a chuckle to escape her mouth as she opened the door and stepped into the corridor. It would feel so satisfying to walk past them and have them not realise the dangerous Miss Jinx was right in front of them. She had always found it humorous how they had put a Miss in front of her name, like they were trying to make her sound respectable. The door rattled as she tried to close it and she heard curses being shouted from down the corridor. She had to clench her teeth hard to stop herself growling in an unladylike fashion and she shot a death glare at the doorknob as the door finally jammed shut behind her. The sooner she got out of this place the better.

"So," Dick Grayson took a swig from the mug of cheap ale that had been put in front of him and grimaced at the bitter taste. "Where does that leave us?"

The four of them were sitting around a small table in the corner of an alehouse they had found just down the street from the hotel and it seemed as good a place as any to discuss what they already knew about the murder. The place was buzzing with the easy chatter of regulars at the bar and Dick has specifically chosen the place because he knew it would be difficult for them to be overheard. Still just to be safe he had squeezed them into a shady corner of the large room that was mainly made of dark wooden beams running parallel to each other around the walls and ceiling as if in a race. He took another sip as he looked at the faces around the table; Victor was taking up almost a third of the cramped table space and was chugged down his pint like it was water, Garfield was squashed a little between him and the wall but he just looked excited to be there with his green eyes looking between the three of them expectedly and Wally looked to be in a daydream as he stared out at the street through the short round window in front of him. Dick sighed and gave him a clout around the head which snapped him out of it.

"Wally, we need to get to work," He said in way of explanation. "And you've been acting funny since you disappeared in the corridor and turned up late. What were you doing?"

"Sorry, it was nothing." Wally said as he rubbed his head. Dick was far stronger than he looked. Besides he didn't want to say he had been talking to a young woman he had met; he didn't need another lecture about women from him. "So what have we got?"

"We know what time Mumbo entered the hotel from looking at the guest book," Garfield piped up. "And from speaking to the man at the front desk. He arrived at 9pm last night and went straight to his room. Nobody else saw him arrive or leave so he must have been the last to see him alive, aside from the murderer that is." He tried a little laugh but when everyone else stayed silent he turned it into a cough.

"Right. And we also know that nobody else signed it after him or went through the front entrance, meaning either the murderer was already staying there or got in another way." Victor said. "Seeing the state of the place, I don't think it would be too hard."

"What about the people who signed in before him?" Wally asked. "We'll have to do background checks on all of them."

"Yes and I'm certain all of them will have some sort of criminal record." Dick cynically remarked. "But most of the people that stay there are small-time crooks. It's a big step to go from pickpocketing and small robberies to stabbing someone in the throat with a chair leg."

"Whoever this this was no regular crook either." Victor spoke up. "Everything about the scene suggested he was up against a skilled opponent. The bruises he had showed he was beaten pretty badly; they knew what they were doing. There were also some marks on his neck that suggested he was almost killed by a blow to the neck but I think he made them angry hence the chair leg…This was more like an assassination than a murder."

Dick looked thoughtful and stroked his chin. "That would make a lot of sense given the rumours that he had conned the wrong people."

"Who did he con?" Garfield asked, his eyes now as wide as saucers.

"We don't know." Wally said, leaning back in his chair. "Though my friend here believes this could be something to do with the HIVE Five."

"The HIVE Five? No way!" Garfield exclaimed in awe.

"You know about them?" Wally asked curiously.

"Sure!" Garfield said. "They're only some of the meanest, toughest thugs around. And their leader Miss Jinx…she's meant to be the worst of the lot, even though she's a woman."

"Well you should never underestimate women," Wally said as he gave Dick a nudge and watched his face go red. "Eh, Dick?"

"Shut up, we need to focus," Dick said sternly, eager to get off the subject. "If any of the rumours are even the slightest bit true, we have to be on the lookout for her. Don't let yourself be fooled, she's meant to be a master of disguise."

"Yeah, I've heard so many rumours about this girl," Victor said sombrely as he drank some of Garfield's pint which he didn't seem to notice. "I don't think we have a clue what we are dealing with, if it is her."

"I've heard she sold her soul to the Devil to get that good at killing people and knowing where the police are," Garfield said, drawing his arm over his mouth and making his voice go low to try and sound spooky. "And that the reason she hides her face is because she's hideously ugly!"

"Those are silly street rumours," Dick poured scorn on them and Garfield stared at him with a little embarrassment. "But be aware. Any young women we meet could be her. We have to be on our guard at all times."

"Right. Talking of young women…" Wally's attention was distracted as a familiar figure dressed in black walked past the window and went down the street. He followed the shape down the road and stood up to watch her walk around the corner. "Excuse me for a moment."

Dick looked to see what his friend was watching and groaned. "Wally, are you really-" He went to say but Wally had already sped from the table and was running down the street after her.

She heard him calling her fake name and froze on the spot, her fingers tightly gripping the handle of her parasol ready to attack. She wasn't wearing her platforms and for a moment she wished she was as she could have done with some extra height but she hadn't wanted to draw more attention. She recognised his voice instantly and inwardly cursed. What was he doing here? Couldn't he leave her alone? She forced a smile onto her face and turned around to face him as he ran up to her.

"Oh hello again Wally West." She greeted him cordially, trying hard not to let her face twitch. She hated acting like this, it made her feel like her tongue had been dipped in sugar. "Still saving damsels from door keys?"

She took pleasure from seeing him squirm a little in embarrassment and her smile turned into a genuine one. Wally saw the glow in her face and it made him grin back. "I get the feeling you do not have the most favourable impression of me Miss Hexelton."

"Jane." She said, to her own surprise. "It's frightfully boring to be referred to by Miss Hexelton. And I would not say it was unfavourable, just a little too forward. I can't stand flirts; I've dealt with enough of them in my time."

What was she saying? Anyone would think she was trying to get closer to the strange detective. Wally looked at her face, which was slowly growing pinker as he scrutinised it. He wasn't surprised she had to deal with flirts, not with a face as beautiful as hers.

"Then I give you my sincerest apologies," He said with a dip of his head and she could see from his eyes when he looked back up that he meant it. How easy would it be to get lost in those eyes, she found herself thinking before she gave her head a little shake. She was not that stupid. "Let me rectify that by accompanying you on your walk."

"Shouldn't you be working on that case of yours?" Jinx said, fighting the icy edge that was seeping into her voice.

"They can manage without me for a little while." He said confidently, knowing he was going to get a tongue-lashing from Dick later but not really caring in that moment. "Also it's really not suitable for you to be walking by yourself around these parts. There are dangerous people about."

I know, I'm one of them! She wanted to scream but she knew there was no way out of this unless she wanted to kick up a fuss. "Very well then, if you insist." She replied, hoping a little of the hostility she was feeling had entered her voice as she plastered another smile on her face. He however, didn't seem to notice and fell easily by her side as they went down the street.

Their steps fell quickly into sync and she was unnerved by how natural it felt to be walking with him. She kept trying to walk a little ahead of him so her open parasol would block him from her view but he somehow kept catching up with her.

"You're very fast, aren't you?" She said very bluntly and she nearly froze on the spot at her rashness. She had talked to him almost in the same way she would have talked to one of her criminal associates but he just laughed.

"I do get told that a lot," he said. "I'm just naturally a fast runner. It helps when you chase criminals for a living."

"I see." Jinx answered slowly, making sure she slowed her pace. It wouldn't look good if he thought she was trying to outrun him. "Do they often get away?"

"Not usually." Wally said as he tried to take a look at her face. Her expression with its teasing smile was very difficult to read and he couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something. Unlike many other women he had come across who acted meekly and fluttered their eyelashes, he could see by the flash of her eyes that she was toying with him and he was enjoying sparring with her. "Not many people get away from me."

"Is that so?" She murmured and a blush spread across his face. "You must be quick."

Not as quick as you it seems, he thought with another smile at her which she caught from the corner of her eyes. Maybe this could be used to my advantage, she thought with a purr of pleasure. He's getting too cocky for his own good, if I could get some details out of him…

"Talking of criminals," She said suddenly. "How goes this murder case? Has there been any progress?"

Wally looked at her surprised. Most women he had met would have shied away from such a subject, some would probably have gone pale or even fainted at the mention of blood being spilled, yet she was boldly asking him about it with no change in her demeanour whatsoever. She really was different to anyone else he had met.

"Not much," he admitted. "We've only just got here so we haven't had the chance but it looks like this will be a tricky one. Whoever did this was skilled at what they were doing and my friend is convinced it has something to do with this gang called the HIVE Five…"

Her hands suddenly clenched the handle of her parasol and it took her all of her effort not to let her mask slip. She fought to keep her breathing calm and her pace steady whilst her mind was panicking. How had they figured that out? It must have been Dick Grayson, I should have realised he would have spies everywhere, damnit… How much did they know? Do they know I'm here?

Wally saw how her hands went white and hurriedly went to change the subject. I'm such an idiot, he cursed himself, she's staying there, I'm only going to frighten her if I talk like this. "Anyway, you shouldn't worry, we'll find them before you know it. Now, how about we talk about something else?"

"Like what?" She asked him, trying her best to relax. It's obvious he doesn't know it is me and he won't know if I keep this up, she told herself. She looked up at the buildings and realised they were only a few streets away from circling back to the hotel. She only had to keep him talking for a little while longer and she held onto that like it was a lifebelt.

"How about you?" Wally asked leaning over a little as they walked along so he could see her reaction better. He hadn't realised how tiny she was; he wasn't the tallest of guys and she barely made his shoulders. It was kind of cute.

"Me?" She tried to laugh but to her ears it sounded more like a short nervous bark. This was getting worse and worse. "There isn't much to know."

"I'm sure that's not true." He said and she could feel him getting closer. "I'm personally very intrigued by you. I would really like to know more."

"Like what?" She said, now feeling almost confused. Nobody had ever wanted to know her before. She looked at the lopsided hopeful smile of the man next to her and she couldn't help giving a small smile at the warmth she found there which he took as an indication to ask his first question.

"Like…where are you from?"

"Oh…I…" She hadn't thought to come up with any kind of a backstory for this alias, she had never though she would actually be talking to anybody. Her plan had been to lie low and get out fast but that was now out of the window. She would have to improvise. "I'm…not really from anywhere. I travel a lot you see, so I couldn't really say I'm from a certain place."

"Really?" Wally perked up, his interest in this girl piqued. "But you have a London accent."

Damn him, he was good. "That's probably because I've stayed here the longest." She smoothly replied. "We always end up back here somehow, it's like an instinct, like birds returning back to the nest."

"You must have seen so much," Wally marvelled, his blue eyes bright as azure. "I've lived here all my life; I can't even begin to think of the wonders you have seen."

"Well…some of it was." He looked at her and saw how her head was bowed as memories played before her eyes. This was meant to be a fabricated story but it was striking dangerously close to the truth. "Other parts…weren't so wondrous."

"Oh. I'm sorry." She raised her head again to gaze at him and she saw how sad he looked. She didn't need his pity, that was the last thing she wanted! She wanted to snarl at herself but instead she found she was grateful for it. Nobody had shown her any crumbs of kindness before. "What about your family? Are they here?"

"No." She said, thinking carefully about her response. She could see the hotel building up ahead but she didn't quicken her pace. "My parents died a long time ago so I don't have many memories of them. That's what has enabled me to travel so much-nobody has to worry about me."

"So you're completely alone?" Wally's heart felt like breaking when he heard that. Seeing how she looked away from him only made him want to draw her closer and protect her from whatever she had been through. He had seen pain before in people's eyes and faces, it came with the job, but he had never seen anyone so shut down before. "That's awful."

"There are worse things." She told him grimly as they reached the doors of the hotel. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your friends?"

"They'll live without me for a minute longer." He smiled at her as he held the door open. That strange feeling was back and it had settled into the pit of his stomach and was now refusing to leave. He kept trying to ignore it but it refused to go away.

They walked to her door in silence and she unlocked the door quickly, relived to see it didn't jam. "Thank you for walking with me," She said, finding to her surprise that there was a big part of her that meant it and almost wanted it to be a little longer. "It was most pleasant."

"It was all my pleasure Jane." He said as she opened the door and went in. He looked in over her shoulder and saw something that struck him as odd. Both of the carpet bags were still on the floor but one of them was open and spilling out from it was a long black lace dress with a tear running down the length of the skirt that had been cleanly ripped. "What happened to your dress? It looks like you were in a fight or something.

She laughed at that but this time he detected it was different. He couldn't work out why but it was higher and more shrill. "Oh that?" She answered with a flick of her hand as if she was physically shooing the subject away. "That was where it got caught in my parasol when I unpacked it. It is really a shame, that was one of my favourites." It wasn't untrue; it had been ripped when Mumbo had deflected her attack with her parasol and her skirt had taken the impact. That was when she had gotten really mad and gone for the chair leg. And it was one of her favourite dresses.

"It must have been pretty tangled up." He said, his mind whirring as he tried to get a closer look but she hurriedly stepped in front of the door and blocked his view.

"Yes, I really have to get a seamstress to look at it. Thank you again Wally and goodbye." She shut the door before he could say anything and heaved a sigh as she leaned against it, feeling the hard cool wood against her blushing face. There was a pause on the other side of the door before she heard him walk away. She listened to his footsteps as they faded away and she bit the inside of her cheek hard. What was she thinking? She could have blown the whole thing!

She went back to sitting on the bed and tried to think of a way out but the only thing that was swimming in her mind was him. Him and his goddamn smile and his eyes and his…No! She was not going to do this! She let out a savage hiss before she remembered the caring way he had looked at her, like she was a person under all of this and her eyes filled with tears. She took the contacts out, telling herself it was them that were making her eyes water and not the fact that the only bit of love and compassion she had ever been shown had been given to her by somebody she should hate.

 _Thanks so much for the reviews everyone, please keep them coming! I hope you liked it!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello everyone! This chapter felt like it took so long, I kept writing bits but then got rid of them and I got so frustrated but it's finally done and I'm happy with it! Hopefully the next one will be easier. Please keep leaving reviews, they make writing easier and more fun! Enjoy!_

There was something here that wasn't adding up, Wally thought as he made his way slowly back down the corridor. Usually he would have moved much quicker but it felt like the feeling that was spreading through him was slowing him down, like there was cast iron going through his veins. He could no longer ignore that there was something not quite right about her, his detective instincts wouldn't allow him to. It was obvious she was hiding something, the only question was what? And did it have something to do with this case? She had seemed interested in it… He let out a groan as he reached the empty hallway and slumped against the wall. What had he got himself into? He momentarily wished he had listened to Dick's lectures but now he was in too deep to crawl back out of this pit he had trapped himself in. He remembered the way she had smiled at him, the times where they had felt real and how it had made him feel like he could conquer anything if he could get her to smile like that. His arms clenched up as he longed to hold her and take the pain that he had seen from her eyes. He was used to falling fast for women but he had never fallen like this. This was new and he knew he wasn't going to be the same. Was she feeling this turmoil as well? Was this secret she was hiding something so terrible? There was only one thing that he could think it could be but it was something he didn't dare think about.

He sighed and looked around the hallway again. His friends must be back at the room, he thought as he sluggishly made his way back feeling almost dazed. This time when he rounded the corner, the corridor was no longer empty as a tall figure stood hesitantly in front of the door, her hand held up like she was about to knock but couldn't bring herself to. He recognised her as Kori Anderson and called out to her. She flicked her head around at the sound of his voice with a squeal, like she had just been caught doing something she shouldn't, but when she saw him approaching, she beamed at him and joyfully waved.

"Oh friend Wally!" She exclaimed as she rushed to meet him. He went to shake her hand but before he could do anything she had engulfed him in a giant hug with a strength that took him by surprise and choked all the air from him. "It is a joy to see you here!"

"Nice to see you again too Kori." He spluttered as she let him go. "I must say though, if you greet your friends like that, I'd hate to see what you would do to your enemies."

"Oh I am very sorry!" She answered swiftly before she giggled. "I do not know my own strength at times."

"It's fine." Wally heaved as he stood up straight again and smiled to reassure her. "How did you get that strong anyways?"

"I grew up a long way away from here, in the countryside," She explained, her joyful smile returning. "My father wanted sons to help him on our farm but he got my sister and me. We ended up taking those roles and that involved a lot of hard work." She flexed her arms and Wally could see the muscles in her skinny arm. She hadn't been lying when she said she could handle herself. "I left and came here to become a journalist a few months ago. London is very different from my home-it feels like I am on another planet at times."

"It must do, travelling all that way." Wally said empathetically before wishing he hadn't; the thought of travelling brought Jane back up. If that was even her name… "You looking for someone?"

"Yes, I was very much hoping to be allowed to see the crime scene. I still need to write my piece on the murder." Kori looked longingly at the door before her eyes returned to his. "But I am scared to ask. Your friend, he is very…intimidating."

"Yes, he can be at times." Wally agreed, thinking of how red-faced Dick had gotten when he had thought of her. "But if you come in with me, everything should be fine."

"Really?" Kori looked so excited, it was like she was floating with happiness. "Oh thank you so much friend Wally!"

"No problem." Wally said as he knocked on the door. He was going to enjoy this. He heard movement from inside and took that as an answer to let himself in. As he pushed the door opened, two heads spun around to face them from their crouched position on the ground where Mumbo's body had previously been, one of them going very red when he saw Kori rush in.

"Wally, what are you playing at?!" Dick hissed as he stormed over to Wally and grabbed his arm to drag him away from Kori, who had already gone straight to Victor's side and was eagerly asking him questions. "First you disappear chasing a woman down the street, and now you're bringing her in here?! Are you mad?! She's the press, she can't be in here yet, it's still a crime scene!"

"Vic doesn't seem to mind," Wally pointed out as he gestured over to Vic and Kori who were already chatting away amicably. Kori had a lot of questions and Vic was only too happy to answer them. "He's already got all he needs from the place. Besides, wasn't there something you said once about needing to create a better relationship with the press? This is the perfect opportunity to do so."

Dick growled a little as he realised he was stumped. "You are too quick for your own good sometimes Wally."

"All part of my charm." Wally grinned at him. "Now have we got anything new from this place?"

"Yes we have and it proves my theory." Dick's demeanour suddenly changed for the better as he smiled with great pleasure. "Vic and I were combing the room whilst you were off gallivanting," Wally opened his mouth to protest but a look from Dick made him shut it again. "And we found this among the mess."

He held up a scrap of fabric and Wally felt like his heart stopped when he saw it. It was a piece of black lace that was barely the size of a milk bottle top that had been cleanly torn from where ever it had come from. Dick turned it over and over in his gloved hands so he could see every bit of it and then handed it to him so he could see that it was all too painfully real. His stomach felt knotted and with each second, he felt sicker and sicker. This confirmed his theory too but it was one he had been hoping was wrong.

"This has to have been dropped by the killer." Dick told him, missing the look of horror that had appeared on his friend's face. "I guess it was ripped during the fight. This has to have come from a dress, most likely from a skirt and I know only one murderess who wears black all the time…This has to be the work of Miss Jinx, you can't see it now, can't you?"

"Yes…yes…" Stilled stunned, Wally looked around the room and frowned when he realised there was a face missing from the scene. "Hey, where's Garfield?"

"He went to go get someone." Vic answered as he stepped over to them. He had just finished his conversation with Kori, who was now taking pictures of the room with the camera around her neck, the flash going off with a loud noise almost like the crack of a gunshot. "Apparently she's been a help to the police before and he thinks we could use some help from the other side."

"The other side? What does that mean?" Wally asked him but before he could answer, the door was opened again and Garfield's cheery voice rang through.

"I'm back guys! And I've brought someone who can help us with the case! With her on our side, we will easily kick this guy's butt!"

"Garfield, I hardly think that is necessary."

"Oh come on Rae-Rae, stop being so modest."

"I'm not being modest. And don't call me Rae-Rae." A crisp voice reprimanded him as he rushed into the room just ahead of his visitor with a wide smile that was almost cracking his face in two. They all looked up and fell silent as a young woman entered the room. Her calming presence seemed to still the very air as she looked around with a perfectly blank expression on her face. She had long black hair that flowed loosely down past her shoulders and tied around her forehead was a string of navy lace with a red jewel hanging from it that laid in the space between her eyebrows. Her skin was ivory next to the long black dress she wore that hugged her curvy body and the long blue cloak she wore with the hood up, her long fingers playing with the red jewel that pinned it under her throat. She stared at each of them in turn with her large round eyes that were almost purple in their intensity and Wally felt a shudder run through him when they focused on him. It felt like those eyes could stare into the very depths of his soul and the experience wasn't pleasant.

"I am pleased to meet you all." She said, her voice betraying no emotion at all. "Garfield has told me so much about you all."

"I have?" Garfield answered confused, causing her to flick her eyes over to him.

"Not in words but they weren't really necessary. The energy from your emotions was enough." She told him before turning back to the others. "My name is Raven, Raven Roth. I'm told you need my help with a murder enquiry."

"Are you a psychic?" Victor asked her.

"I am many things Victor Stone." She said smoothly, smiling a little at how wide his eyes went at the mention of his name. "A psychic is just one of them. I can feel people's emotions as they radiate from them, I've used it to help the police before. It can really set a scene if you know the emotions behind it. If you know the emotions, you can often piece together a motive."

"How do you know Garfield?" Dick asked with a look at the grinning youth who hadn't taken his eyes from the mysterious woman. They seemed like such total opposites yet it was clear that she was comfortable in his company and she kept looking over at him almost for support.

"We've known each other for a while," She said. "Garfield came to me after his fiancé left him and we became friends."

"You were nearly married?" Victor burst out and they all stared at him as he sheepishly blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah…her name was Terra… I'd known her since we were little and we got engaged but then she wanted to see the world…that kind of domestic life wasn't for her, she was such a free spirit…" He bowed his head to hide his heartbroken expression and Raven was suddenly by his side, resting her hand on his shoulder. "But it's in the past now and we need to get on the case! Raven, you can help right? Please tell me you can!" He looked up at her with the biggest eyes he could muster and she gave him a fond look, the kind a sister would give to an annoying little brother.

"I'm getting something here…there's a lot of emotion in the room." Raven suddenly glided into the middle of the room, her eyes closed as she evenly breathed in and out. There was dead silence for a few stretched out minutes before she opened her eyes and spoke. "There was a lot of anger in this room, so much it feels like the walls are burning. Firstly, it was composed calm anger, the anger of somebody wronged and wanting revenge…somebody experienced and determined, who knew exactly what to do."

"We had that much figured out." Dick hissed lowly to Wally but then she carried on and he went silent as Garfield waved his hand to hush him, all of them entranced. Raven raised her hands and pressed two fingers to either side of her head and they heard her muttering something under her breath like she was casting a spell before she went on.

"The victim was fearful; he knew what his fate would be the moment the killer walked into the room. He knew he couldn't avoid it but still he fought. Something happened…he wounded her, damaged her pride, there was one moment where she doubted herself and felt weak…That's when she really got angry, red hot anger that made her lose control. Sheer terror from him, then he died. Then a moment of satisfaction before some sadness, I believe she was remembering something. There's pain too, all bottled up inside about to explode but she forced it down again. Then she left, deep in thought I would guess planning her escape." She turned back to them and lowered her hands, ignoring how they were all staring at her in shocked silence except for Garfield who looked at her proudly and gave a smug look to the others. "Is that all?"

"Wait," Dick said suddenly, shaking himself from his open-mouthed bewilderment. "You know the killer is female? How do you know that?"

"I read it from her emotions." Raven said simply as she gracefully made her way back to them. "She knows people doubt her because of it and it makes her stronger. I sense you did the same thing Richard Grayson." She leaned closer to him as he levelly stared at her and said in a quieter voice. "Also if I were you, I would seize the moment. That person you're thinking of, the one who hasn't left your thoughts since you met her…you'll never meet anyone like her."

Dick was shocked into silence, his mouth moving in wild stammers as she drew away. Kori took a step closer to the both of them and her proximity made it worse. Raven then turned to her and gave her a small smile as she felt the joyous emotions roll effortlessly from her.

"Do not worry about him, I only gave him a small reading." She told the girl as she sensed she was worried. "In fact, I have one for each of you. Kori, yours is very simple; if you continue on this path you have chosen for yourself, you will find what you are looking for even if you don't know it yet. Victor and Gar, a warning; do not let them get down the corridor. And remember to duck."

The three of them stared at her confused but she did not elaborate. Instead she turned to Wally and as her eyes met his, her expression darkened. She stood in front of him and he could feel the heavy weight of her gaze. He suddenly felt hot and sweaty. Could she see what he had guessed at? Would she say anything?

"Wally West." She stated calmly almost as if she was still considering telling him. "Yours is far more serious. In the near future, the very near future in fact, two paths will appear before you. Each will make you very happy but in different ways and each will require you to give up something very dear. You will be forced to choose and you will have to choose wisely for the moment you pick one path, the other will crumble and you will never be able to go back. Think on that."

As Wally stared at her dumbfounded, she swept away and walked from the room, staggering a little so she nearly fell into the doorframe. "I'm sorry but I have to step outside. All these emotions…they are very strong and I need a break." Her cloak flew out behind her like it was blowing in the wind as she quickly left. Garfield looked around at all of them before he took a few steps and followed her. They could hear him frantically running down the corridor calling her name and it made Victor chuckle.

"You know, I think there's a certain emotion she's blind to." He said before he looked at the faces of Wally and Dick who had both gone the colour of raw pastry. Kori also looked concerned and she gently touched Dick's arm, which made him jump in the air like her touch had burned him.

"My friends, are you feeling alright?"

"Fine, fine." Dick answered gruffly, avoiding looking at her and trying to compose himself again before he looked at Wally who was still looking at the door shell-shocked. "What did she mean by that do you think Wally? It sounded pretty serious."

"I have no idea." Wally said though his sinking feeling had just gotten worse. He looked down at the small bit of lace he was still clutching between his fingers and he quickly tucked it out of sight in his pocket. "What did she say to you? It made you go very funny."

"All of it was pretty funny." Dick retorted, wanting very much to get off the subject whilst Kori was still there. Her closeness was making him jumpy and tense and yet he didn't want her to move away. "I mean, remember to duck? But what she said proves that Miss Jinx was the killer. We have all we need and we need to send out an alert. Now we know who it is, we can move and this time she won't get away from the law."

"Yeah…right." Wally said absent-mindedly, still trying to think of what to do with the secret he knew. Telling Dick would make him so happy, the case would be wrapped up in mere hours but he couldn't say the words. "I have to…go somewhere."

He quietly slipped from the room as Dick started to rapidly talk with Victor, Kori standing between them as an eager spectator, memorising their words to write up later. The corridor was empty as Raven and Garfield were long gone. Nobody saw him as he cautiously approached her door, knowing what he had to do. You're insane, he told himself and he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his position though it really wasn't funny. The long shadows on the walls that signalled the ending of the day were creeping up on him and they appeared to peer over his shoulder as he steeled himself to knock on the door and meet his fate.

"Tonight? You're planning on storming the place tonight?" Jinx could barely keep the relief from her voice. She could hardly dare believe she was going to be out of this place so soon and she couldn't wait. Ever since she had gotten back from that walk she had felt like she was going insane. Her thoughts had been filled with the image of Wally West and every word he had said to her until Seymour had called and her emotions felt wrung out like a wet cloth. She would be glad to leave this and that detective behind her, no matter what the strange feeling she had inside was telling her. "Oh that is the best news you could have given me Seymour. Honestly, I don't know how much longer I could have lasted here with these detectives sniffing around."

"It was easy really," She could hear Seymour on the other end glowing with pride. "I explained the situation and when they heard there were detectives there, they couldn't wait. Imagine how good it will be to have our potential threats wiped out whilst they sleep…"

"No!" Jinx's severity made herself gasp as she quickly spoke. "You can't do that…it's far too dangerous! Just come and get me, leave the detectives well alone. There will be other opportunities…you just need to be in and out of here as quickly as possible, do you understand?"

"Alright…I got it." Seymour sounded bemused but Jinx ignored it.

"Good. I have to go now." She hung up and started to slowly pack the phone away, wishing she could stop feeling so many contradictions. She wanted to leave this place yet she didn't, she had killed last night but had chosen to spare the detectives, she hated Wally West yet she…

She threw the phone in the bag angrily and stifled a long moan by pressing her fist to her mouth. What had she just been about to admit? This place really was driving her crazy.

She was about to tidy away her torn dress when there was a knock on the door, a knock so soft and gentle at first she wasn't sure whether she had imagined it. When it came again, she called out "Coming!" and kicked her bags under her bed. Surely the guys weren't here already? No, they were nowhere near that good…

She opened the door and saw Wally was standing there, a grim look on his handsome features. She could feel her knees trembling at the sight of him and she had to lock them to stop her whole body shaking.

"Wally. Please come in." She said politely. She opened the door and he brushed past her, their hands touching for a second as he passed her. She retreated to the other side of the room as he firmly shut the door behind him without a word. For a moment, he stood in front of the door and didn't turn around to face her and that made her eyes narrow in suspicion. Something had changed since the morning and she didn't like it. She shifted her body closer to her parasol which was leaning against her bed and her hands itched to grab it but she didn't dare to.

He finally faced her and the air was wary and still. They each sized the other up, preparing themselves unsteadily for something they had no idea was coming. It was her that made the first tentative move.

"Is there something the matter Wally? You look very…tense."

He looked her in the eyes for the first time since he had entered the room and she saw how they had changed. They were no longer cheerful and sparkling with life; they were chilling and distant. "Yes, there is something the matter Jane," He said. "Or should I call you by your real name?"

"My real name?" She could feel cold fear down the back of her neck, like somebody had poured ice water down her back. She took a small step sideways and saw his eyes glint when he noticed it. "You must be mistaken…"

"I am never mistaken." He cut her off as he delved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of black lace that made her freeze in place. Her eyes widened and she couldn't stop herself making a choking sound that set his stern face.

"I know who you really are, there's no point in hiding anymore. I must say though; I'm honoured to be in the presence of somebody so well-known as you. It's a pleasure to meet you at long last-Miss Jinx."


	5. Chapter 5

The words he spoke lingered heavily in the air as she stared at him, feeling like she was already being hung by the sound of her own name as she choked on the words she longed to say but couldn't. All she could do was stare at the flimsy bit of black lace he held in his outstretched hand. Damn that dress! She thought. She knew she should have burnt the thing but sentimentality had made her hold onto it and look where it had got her. Neither breathed as they looked at each other. Wally saw the way she was standing, her legs apart and her hands open and he cursed himself again. She was in a fighting stance, how could he have been so blind? There was fear in her eyes as they desperately searched the room and he spoke again.

"There's no way out of this room, unless you want to go through me and, even though I've seen your prowess, I wouldn't recommend it. My friends are just down the corridor and I could fend you off until they get here. Your window also looks out over the courtyard so there wouldn't be any point going there. Look all you want, there isn't a way."

Jinx gritted her teeth and emitted a short snarl, curling her lip as she realised he was telling the truth. He was blocking the door and, as much as she wanted to escape, she didn't want to cause a fight or to hurt him though as she looked at his solid frame, she could guess he would put up a better fight than Mumbo had. There was no point in trying, she had already lost. The mouse had been cornered.

"You're right." She said and he was surprised at how her voice changed. It was now lower and far more guttural and sarcastic, the voice of someone who wouldn't be afraid to snap your head off with it. Her previous voice had sounded so natural that he hadn't even considered it wasn't her real one. "You win. You got me." She dropped her hands to her sides and stood up straight, trying not to look at him. "Can we just get this next bit over with?" She snapped in a way that was far more like herself as she held her arms out in front of her and turned her head away, ready to be carted off.

She heard him take a few steps towards her and she squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to feel the cold bite of metal handcuffs and then to be tugged forwards but it didn't come. Instead she felt a pair of warm hands cup hers and then something light and soft pecking at her fingers like the flapping of a small bird's wings. She opened her eyes to see he was holding her hands and planting kisses on them. He stopped suddenly and his eyes looked up into hers. She felt her face go hot as she pulled her hands away.

"Aren't…aren't you going to arrest me?"

Her voice sounded painfully breathless and she wanted to snap at him but she couldn't find the bitterness to. All she could see was his eyes and all she could feel was the warmth that was shooting through her as she drowned in them. Her head felt heavy and dull and her body swayed as she hardly dared believe that this was real and not some dream. He saw how she wavered and he moved closer, placing both his hands instinctively on her waist as hers reached for his arms like she was going to push him away but didn't have the strength. There was only a small gap between them now that pulsed with the electricity of their closeness and neither of them could pull away.

"No. I'm not." He eventually said. He saw the stunned look on her face and his broke into a smile. "Why, don't you trust me?"

"Of course I don't!" She insisted though she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else. "And you shouldn't be doing this! You should be dragging me out of this room and shoving me in the back of a Black Maria whilst your adoring public looks on at the great man who finally foiled Miss Jinx!" Every part of her was telling her to struggle but she couldn't. "That's how it's meant to go! Why are you doing this?"

"There's something different about you." Wally admitted. "Something keeps telling me…you could do better. I know there's more to you and I'm never wrong."

She snorted and he saw her eyes narrow. "Well, you're wrong this time Wally West." She snapped. "You don't know a thing about me. I'm bad, I'm evil, I'm a _freak_!" She spat the last word out as she threw his arms away from her and turned her back on him. "Go away. You should get back to your friends before I change my mind."

He saw the way she crossed her arms and hunched her body, like she was trying to hold herself together and he felt almost rooted to the spot. She both floored and confused him; he could see the feared killer in her but he could also see a helpless victim and both sides were raging a battle within the frame of this girl. He stepped forwards and put his hands on her shoulders to spin her around to face him again. He expected her to fight him and he almost closed his eyes to shield them if she decided to claw at his face but all she did was stare up at him in shock. Nobody had ever dared to lay their hands on her like that before and that was all she could do.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said and she almost wanted to cry at the compassion she could hear in his voice. "You can't expect me to just walk away, not after everything that's just happened. And you're not a freak Jinx, how could you be?"

She shook herself free and stared defiantly up at him. "You really want to see?" She said and he could hear that she was fighting back tears. "Fine. Then give me your handkerchief."

He handed it over wordlessly and watched her as she rubbed it all over her face and flung it back at him. He let it drop to the floor as she pulled at her eyes and he saw two glittering lenses drop to the carpet briefly like raindrops before she finally took off her hat and shook her head. Hair in the brightest shade of pink he had ever seen poured down her shoulders in a wave of rose quartz as she threw her head back and looked him in the eyes again. Her skin was pale grey and smooth like the surface of a pebble and her eyes were the same shade of pink and shaped like a cats with thin pupils and a pointed shape. For a few seconds he stared at her in amazement before she sniffed and he realised she was crying. She gasped as she only just seemed to realise it too and she turned her head again.

"I told you…" She said, holding her hands over her face to try and stem the flow of tears that couldn't stop now they had started. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried; once she had started to make a name for herself she hadn't tolerated it, calling it an indulgence for weaklings and now here she was, bawling her eyes out in front of her enemy. What are you thinking?! She berated herself when she felt a gentle touch on her quivering shoulders. "I told you I was a monster…"

"No you're not." His soft gentle reply made her stop and she turned around. He was standing much closer than she remembered, his face was barely inches from hers as she involuntarily drew closer. He raised his hand and brushed a finger against her cheek. She flinched at the sudden touch but didn't push it away. "You're the farthest thing from it. I mean, I thought you were beautiful before but now…you're stunning."

Her eyes went wide and he smiled at how suddenly flustered she looked. It was like nobody had told her she was beautiful before. "Wally…you…you can't say those things!" She said, suddenly tripping over her words as she felt warmth spreading through her that was making her face burn.

He chuckled at how pink her face went and gave her a smile that only made it worse. "Watch me." He said before he leaned over and suddenly he found that they were kissing. Their mouths met in a mess of lips, like they had been drawn together by magnets, and his arms travelled to her body, holding her tiny waist in his hands. For a moment she felt stiff in his arms and he braced himself to slam into the wall but then all at once, she softened and she kissed him back, arching her back so that every inch of her was pressed against him. Her fingers traced his neck and dug into his hair as the kiss grew more fiery, each of them unwilling to let go. It was only when their lungs were burning for air did they break apart, their cheeks flushed as they panted. Their foreheads were leaning against each other and they clung to each other even tighter as their breathing returned to normal. Jinx looked up at Wally and saw how his eyes were looking at her, like she was some sort of heavenly apparition, and it made her knees feel wobbly.

"Jinx, I…" He started to say before she put her hand over his mouth and pushed him against the wall.

"Shh!" She hissed as they heard the sound of footsteps and voices coming from down the corridor. Wally recognised them as his friend's voices and made a small noise but Jinx gave him an angry look and put more force on his mouth.

"Where could he have gone?!" Dick's voice, alight with fury, seared through the walls, making Wally wince a little. "He was only in there a few seconds ago, this is important! Why is he never there when I need him to be?!"

"Relax." Victor then calmly said, sounding a lot more in control. "You know what he's like, he probably saw we were done and then went to his room. This really isn't that big of a deal."

"He isn't in his room, I went and checked and there was no response. And I wouldn't usually mind but I have had a breakthrough in this case and I need to tell him before he gets himself into a lot of trouble!" The footsteps suddenly stopped right outside the door and Wally felt her grip tighten. He was nervously sweating as well. If they came in and saw this…

"Wait…" They heard Dick say. "You don't think…?"

"What?" Victor said confused. "Oh…you think he's with that girl from earlier? He works fast!"

"Oh no…" Dick groaned with a loud frustrated sigh. "Wally…urgh, this is exactly what I didn't want to happen!"

"Why?"

"I'll explain tomorrow." Dick answered, loudly exhaling. Wally could picture the way he was crossing his arms and shaking his head in disapproval. "Anyway, if he is then we can't do anything about it now. We best just get to bed. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow if I'm right…"

"Sure thing." They heard Victor's heavier footsteps stride away as his cheery voice grew more distant. "I'll see you first thing in the morning. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight." Dick replied. There was a moment where there was complete silence and Jinx didn't dare herself to move or breathe before suddenly his footsteps set off down the corridor as well. She waited until they were gone before dropping her hand and letting out a sigh of relief.

"That was close." She finally said after he had stared at the door then at her. "Too close. If they found out I was here, that you were here with me…"

"They won't." Wally put his hands back on her shoulders and tried to sound calm but inside he felt like he was being torn apart. Now that he had been proved right and now he knew the feelings he felt about her were returned, he was now in greater turmoil than ever. For years, his loyalty had been with the police, with his mentor, with justice and he had never doubted the righteousness of his cause for a second but now, looking down into those pink eyes brimming with uncertainty, he knew he couldn't turn her in no matter what she had done. Every one of his instincts was telling him she was dangerous yet he could sense that there was more to it and he was desperate to find out. "Listen to me, they won't find out, I promise you." He looked back over at the door. "I wonder what his big breakthrough was…"

"It doesn't matter right now!" She snapped at him as she ran her finger through her loose hair in frustration. "What matters is, how are you going to get back to your room without him leaping on you? Knowing him, he deliberately said that out there so you would hear him and he's waiting outside for your return!"

Wally remembered with a pang that she was right; his room was right next to Dick's and he knew he would be listening out for him. "Well, there's no other way around it," he said, fighting the grin of glee that was trying to slip onto his face. "I'll have to stay here all night."

"Are you kidding me?" She looked at him like he was crazy and he thought for a second that she was going to slap him. "You can't say here, it's…" She tried to think of a reason but the grin he was obviously trying to hide was making her face flare up and derailing her train of thought. "Completely inappropriate!"

"Have you got a better idea?" He asked her and saw she was stumped. "And besides, isn't it also a little inappropriate to murder someone then stay in a room two doors down from where you killed them?"

She gave a little snarl that reminded him of an angry kitten and he wanted to giggle at the cross look on her face. "Fine." She said finally, trying to ignore the smile he gave her and the butterflies it sent flying in her stomach. This was going to be a long night.

A few hours later, both of them were lying on the thin hard bed staring at the ceiling as their minds were too full for sleep. Wally had taken off his overcoat and waistcoat, which were now draped over a nearby chair, and was lying there in his shirt and trousers whilst Jinx had gotten into a long nightdress (she had forced Wally into the wardrobe when she had changed with the threat that she would use his eyes as marbles if he peeked) and they were both cuddled into each other, their bodies fitting almost perfectly with the other though Jinx would have died if either of them acknowledged it. She wasn't sure how they had got like this but she felt like she was incapable of moving away. She could feel his hand stroking her hair as her head rested on the warmth of his shoulder. She could feel the thump of his heart beating and it both thrilled and terrified her. She had never been this close to anyone, had never been in a situation this intimate and she couldn't believe it was with him. I'm quite literally sleeping with the enemy, she thought, what would the gang say if they saw me now? She tried to relax but everything felt too stifling. He seemed to sense this and she felt his hand stop mid-stroke.

"Jinx, are you alright?" He asked her and his voice was soft and kind. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." She told him and he resumed stroking her hair. She felt the need to tell him something but she didn't know what. "I wasn't lying to you earlier."

"About what?" She could feel him wriggling up the bed so he could lean his head against the wall and she propped herself upon her elbow so she could look at him. He looked at her quizzically and raised an eyebrow.

"When I was telling you about me earlier. I just wanted to say that, most of it wasn't a lie. I have been travelling a lot and not all of it was nice." She looked down a little, not wanting him to see the pain that surfaced with her memories and bit her lip. "And my parents could be dead…I just don't know what happened to them."

She almost jumped when she felt his fingers touch her chin and he tilted her face upwards to meet his eyes again. Their blue colour was swimming with concern as his thumb ran tenderly across her cheekbone. "I'm not interested in them. I'm interested in what happened to you."

She took a deep breath before she started to talk, memories coming back in floods. "I was born in India, I'm not sure how long ago as I've long forgotten my birth date. My mother was a servant in the house of a white family, she looked after their children for them but she caught the eye of the master there. No one ever told me his name and I don't want to know. He…took advantage of her, forced her to even though she didn't want to and she ended up pregnant. She went to a local woman who had knowledge of these things and begged her to get rid of me. They tried everything but no amount of poisons she took or rituals she went through could kill me. And then to make it worse, I was born like this."

She sweepingly gestured to her face, ignoring the protests Wally was about to make and continuing. "That convinced everybody in the village and beyond that I was cursed, a freak of nature born from a crime. My mother was hounded away and she took me with her. She said I was bad luck, that her life would have been so much better if I had never been born, if I had just died in her womb. She asked me that so many times, 'why wouldn't you just die?' but I didn't have the answers. We lived on the streets of whatever city we came to, me stealing food for us both. Then one day, when I was about ten I think, I woke up to find she wasn't there anymore."

She carried on talking, scared of what would happen if she stopped. Wally was still watching her but she couldn't meet his gaze. "I tried to find her at first…but everywhere I went people would send me away. They told me I was a monster, that I would only bring a plague of bad luck and misfortune on everyone I met. Somehow I found my way to a port and there was a ship that I overheard some people saying was going to London in England. The way they spoke about it…it sounded like such a beautiful place, a city with streets paved with gold. I thought, maybe it was somewhere I could belong, maybe they would accept freaks there. So I got on board and by the time they realised I was there, they couldn't do much about it so they put me to work." She shuddered as she remembered the ship, the memory so vivid she could almost feel it rolling. "It was awful, they gave me all the menial jobs and fed me on the leftover scraps from their plates. There were all these burly men who would leer at me as I walked past and try to grab me. At nights I had to lock myself in the pantry to stop them getting at me." She looked up and saw Wally had clenched one fist around the bedsheets and he looked furious. She put her hand over his and tried a wry smile. "Don't worry, I learned fast. They never stood a chance."

"When I got off the ship at last, London wasn't how I pictured it. The city was cold and murky and full of smog, not warm like my old country. The people still called me freaks and I found myself in the same situation as before, living on the streets and stealing. But then I was picked up by this group of thieves…they were led by a criminal named Brother Blood. He took children from the streets and turned them into his gang members and that's what I became. I was the best one there, I learned the quickest because there was nowhere else for me. When he was finally arrested and caught, I had already made a name for myself, people feared and respected me for the first time in my life, I didn't feel worthless…so I made my own gang and started wearing all this, made an image and a name for myself…and that's how I ended up here."

She was crying again, tears silently pouring down her cheeks faster than she could stop them. She didn't understand, how could it hurt so much now even though it was such a long time ago and she had tried not to think about it? I really must be weak, she thought, crying twice in one day. What is wrong with me? What's going to happen to me now? "Wally…the things I've done, the things I've seen…I really am a monster. I'm bad inside and out, you need to get away from me…I'm just bad luck."

She felt Wally shift again as he pulled her closer, his strong arms holding her as he wiped away her tears. Her body felt sinewy and strong in his arms and he could feel the outline of the muscles that were built up under her pale skin. What she had gone through to get those didn't bare thinking about and he held her even closer as he softly kissed her wet cheek. "I told you before Jinx, I'm not going anywhere," he told her softly. "I don't care what you did before and I don't believe that you're a monster. You're not a freak and you're not all bad, the fact I'm still here proves it. You have the potential to be good in you, I can see it."

She looked up into his face and saw that he was smiling calmingly. How can he be so optimistic about me after all I've told him? "This is pointless. Good was never an option for me Wally."

"It could be if you want it to." He replied, his lips hovering not far from her own. "I believe you can be. I know nobody else has been there for you but I am now. I won't let you down Jinx."

Their lips touched again, this time more tenderly as they each started to feel hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, they thought, there could be some way…

The peace of the night was suddenly shattered and they broke apart as a great crash came from the other side of the hotel. Loud voices rose up in complaint but were silenced by a childish voice yelling "Shut it, you bunch of fart-sniffers! We're on a mission here!"

"Oh no!" Jinx cried out and Wally saw how she went as white as her nightgown. "How could I have forgotten?! The stupid fools, this is so bad…"

"What? What's going on Jinx?" He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him and the fear in her face made his stomach lurch. "Who was that?"

"That's the rest of my gang." She whispered, her voice shaking as the realisation of how much danger they were in dawned on both of them. "And they're coming for me."

 _Sorry this took a while, I hope it was all worth it. Please leave a review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Wow, it has been a really long time since I updated this…I'm sorry everyone, I have had a lot to do recently plus there were some other fics I wanted to finish so I could devote more time to this. Hopefully that will be the case as there aren't too many more chapters to go. Anyway, please enjoy! Reviews are welcome._

The crash sent Robin flying out of his room and into the corridor as the hotel walls around him seemed to shake. There were people yelling and complaining all around him, their moans almost seeming to echo from the walls like the hotel itself was complaining but they all stopped as he heard a whining voice shout that made his blood run cold. The HIVE Five, he thought feeling like he had been stabbed in the gut. What were they doing here? Were they going back to the crime scene or something? Had they left something there that could incriminate them? What did we miss? His mind snapped into action as he hammered on the door next to his, hoping that his observation skills had been wrong just this once.

"Wally!" He shouted in frustration. "Get up!"

He shoved himself against the door like he was going to break it down but it only creaked in protest. He knew there was nobody inside anyway. He had been listening out since he had made that proclamation outside that woman's room-he refused to acknowledge her name even if he had checked it in the hotel's book-to see if he would slink back with his tail between his legs but he had heard nothing. He gave an angry grunt and punched the door. He knew what his friend was like with women and on the whole he chose to ignore it but now it was interfering with his case and that couldn't be allowed. He was going to have words with him tomorrow.

He heard his name and he looked up to see Victor and Garfield were running towards him, Victor in nightclothes like him and Garfield still in uniform with his policeman's hat bobbing on his head like a ship in a rough sea. He must have just got back from escorting Raven home, he thought and that suddenly made him think of Kori. God, was she still here? He hadn't thought to check any other rooms for her name. If she was, he knew he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her because of his case. He had to make sure she was safe.

"Dick!" Garfield called out again as he reached the door just ahead of a panting Victor. "What's going on? I just got outside and the place went boom!"

"It's the HIVE Five!" Dick answered as he watched the young man's face pale. "I heard Gizmo's voice, he said something about a mission. Did you guys hear them?"

"No but we saw the hole they left in one of the walls." Victor told him as he straightened up and steadied his breathing. He wasn't an unfit man but in his line of police work, there wasn't much running involved. "Thing's bigger than me. It looks like they are heading for the crime scene on the other side of the hotel. The idiots got the wrong end of the building!"

That's so typical of them, Dick thought with a little sigh of relief. "We can't let them reach it!" He insisted as there was another smaller crashing sound that felt much closer. "Let's go! Do either of you two know where Kori's room is?"

"No clue," Victor said as they started running down the darkened corridor. "She left before us and I didn't see where she went. Why, you want us to get her?"

"No!" Dick shouted out before hastily adding "I want to make sure she's safe and out of the way." He saw Victor give Garfield a knowing look and wanted to groan. They all already knew what she was like. Damn it, he thought, if her room was anywhere near the explosion she would probably be there already, putting herself in danger. Why did she have to be so headstrong? And why did he have to find that so attractive?

They ran through the web of shadowy hallways, the moonlight flickering on the walls like disgruntled ghosts as they moved through it. They were about to turn around a sharp corner when Dick heard the sound of bickering.

"Hold it!" He halted suddenly and threw out an arm to stop the other two tumbling around the corner and giving them away. They only just narrowly avoided crashing into him and they fell behind him, crouching in the near darkness. "I can hear them!" He whispered and he pointed around the corner where the noises were getting louder.

They all peered around the corner and instantly caught sight of them all. They were standing on guard almost in a circle around one of them and Dick could make out the outline of Gizmo as he berated another one of them, his arms failing like a toddler in the middle of a tantrum.

"What do you mean you didn't get the room number? Are you an idiot?"

Seymour was standing in front of the wailing boy, looking down with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry guys, she was being so weird I forgot," he explained before his face creased into a worried frown under his bandage. "She seemed kind of distracted, like she couldn't make up her mind or something. And when I mentioned taking out the detectives, she flipped."

"She's probably trying to be careful," Billy honked out next to him in his brash accent and Wycked next to him gave a stiff nod in agreement. "She just wants to get outta this here hellhole as fast as she can and can you blame her?"

"No…" Seymour relented but he still frowned. "You don't think something's happened to her do you?"

Mammoth let out a howl of laughter as Gizmo and the others sniggered. "Seymour, this is Jinx we're talking about, she can handle anything. Now, we need to move and get to this crime scene. She won't be too far away."

"Right." They all affirmed as they moved off down the corridor. Dick pressed the other two against the wall as they brushed past the corner, holding in a breath as they strode past. Once they were out of sight, he turned to look at their surprised faces as they were now riveted to his.

"Oh my good God," Victor breathed out in disbelief. "You're telling me the murderer has been in the hotel this whole time?"

"And it was Miss Jinx? How did we not see her?" Garfield lamented with his hands planted in his hair under his hat. "She was supposed to be so ugly!"

"Listen to me!" Dick hissed sharply. "Where ever she is, we can't let them find her. They don't know where her room is which means we can still get her if she doesn't leave with them tonight. If she does, we've lost the case. I want you two to get to the crime scene and make sure they don't get close to it. I'm going to follow them and see if I can deter them. Got it?"

"Got it!" They said in eager unison as they stood up quietly and ran back the way they came. Dick watched their retreating backs until they disappeared into the shadows before he turned and went after the HIVE Five. He suddenly thought of Wally, holed up in a room two doors down from the gang's target and he felt a jolt of panic. If he ends up hurt because of this or if he does anything stupidly sacrificial, he vowed knowing his friend like the back of his hand, I'm going to kill him before anyone else can get their hands on him.

He managed to keep up with them as they made their way down the various passages that lead through the heart of the Academy Hotel. He made sure he was a good few paces behind them as they went along and he was quickly able to make some observations. Firstly, it appeared that Gizmo was leading the group as he barked out orders and directions in his shrill voice, frequently punctuating his speech with insults that the others ignored. Secondly they seemed to have no clue where they were going. The directions they went in and the corners they turned appeared to be done on Gizmo's whims and sheer guessing rather than any educated thought. Several times Dick had had to roll backwards and hide as they backtracked and he was beginning to wonder which would come first; daylight or them finding the crime scene.

He watched as they turned another corner and he raced to catch up with them. He wasn't exactly sure where they were in the maze that was the hotel building but he was pretty sure they were nowhere near the crime scene. He ran down the corridor to catch up with them, seeing only a glimpse as they rounded another corner. They won't get away, he thought with a determined smile as he dashed around the corner to see the long stretch of hallway in front of him was empty.

What? He thought as he took a few hesitant steps forward, looking straight ahead for any sign of them. Where could they have got to, they were right here only a second ago-

Two meaty fists suddenly grabbed at his neck from the darkness and he was lifted up into the air. His feet kicked around desperately to try and find the ground and he clawed at the huge hands that were holding his throat and choking him but they didn't budge. He heard a hollow laugh that he recognised as Mammoth's and he wheezed for air, making him laugh harder.

"Did you really think we wouldn't notice you following us Dick Grayson?" He sneered as his grip got tighter and Dick heaved for air, his body flapping like a dying fish in his hands. "We're not stupid."

"Really? You could have had me fooled." Dick quipped back, causing Mammoth to scowl and squeeze him harder. Dick could feel his limbs getting heavier and his mind was beginning to grow blurry as he fought limply to be free.

"Laugh all you want." Mammoth said gleefully as his face started to go blue. "There's nobody who can save you now."

"I am afraid you are wrong!" A voice suddenly cried from behind him and a heavy weight was brought crashing down on him. Mammoth reeled from the blow, dropping Dick just before another blow rained down on him that made him fall to the floor in a groaning heap. Dick lay spluttering on the ground for a few seconds before he looked up and saw Kori was cradling his head in her hands. Dumped on the ground next to her were the shattered remains of a chair, a few legs sticking upwards like a beetle that had been left on its back.

"Dick!" She cried out, shaking him to try and get a response before pounding on his chest to make him take in a great breath. "Oh Dick, I thought he had killed you! What on Earth do you think you were doing, you could have been hurt-"

He blinked up at her as she berated him, her anger seeming to make her words slip as she repeatedly called him a klorbag, and he could see teardrops catching at the corners of her eyes that sparkled down at him. He couldn't take his eyes away from her and he was suddenly reminded of Raven's words. Was this what she had been talking about? He sat up slowly and when his eyes were level with hers, he suddenly stilled her flow of angry words by placing a firm kiss on her lips.

It didn't take her long to kiss him back and bring a hand to his cheek as she drew him in closer. He felt her tears dampen his cheek and he broke the kiss to wipe them away and also to get his breath back as his chest was still burning. She beamed at him almost shyly and he found he was smiling almost as widely back.

"Kori…" He breathed out as for the first time in his life, his mind was unable to come up with any rational thoughts. "I…I…"

"You don't need to say anything Dick." She smiled as their foreheads made contact. "Thought I will say, if you do anything like that again, it will be you who is hit with the chair."

"How did you-" He started to say as he looked around in astonishment at the broken bits of wood around them.

She giggled loudly. "I heard the HIVE Five pass my room and then when I peered out I saw you following them. You didn't have any back-up so I figured that could be me." She looked darkly over at Mammoth who was still slumped on the floor out cold. "Then I saw him grab you and I panicked…"

"I'm glad you did, otherwise I would have been done for." Dick laughed before he suddenly realised. "Wait, the rest of them are still out there! And they are heading for the crime scene to find Miss Jinx!"

"She's been here the whole time?" Kori gasped before she scrambled to her feet, ignoring the splinters of wood embedded in her knees. "Where are Vic and Gar?"

"They sound be there already." Dick tried to get up but he still felt a little dazed and Kori had to help him up. Her strength took him by surprise and he ended up toppling into her, pinning them both against the wall with their lips a hair's breadth from each other. Kori seized the opportunity and kissed him lightly with another bubble of laughter.

"You're not usually this unsteady Dick. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," He said getting his feet back as he straightened up, still keeping her body close to his. "It's just my breath's been taken away."

Meanwhile, Victor and Garfield were waiting at the corridor positioned a few metres away from the door of room 13. Garfield had wanted to stand in front of it but Victor had warned against it as they didn't want to give it away. They had the advantage now that they knew the HIVE Five didn't know the room number and they weren't planning to let it slip from their fingers.

The place was eerily still as they stood there, weapons pointed out in front of them. Garfield was holding out his baton, which was nervously wobbling as he stared into the darkness whilst Victor was holding a rather strange looking gun. It looked almost like a miniature cannon and looked like it had been messily clomped together and then smoothed out, with chunky bits of metal sticking out of it that strangely seemed to make it look like it naturally belonged on his arm. Parts of it were also glowing light blue and Garfield couldn't help but eye it warily. Victor saw him staring and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe," He said, giving it a gentle pat. "I made this myself during my army years and it's served me well. Nobody's going to get past this baby."

"You were in the army?" Garfield's eyes were wide as he stared at his friend. "For how long?"

"Almost eight years," He answered proudly. "I came from a family of army men so I joined up the first chance I got. I served around the world until this put an end to my army career." He bent over and pulled up a section of his trousers, revealing a prosthetic foot made of metal and wood which had been painted blue. Garfield nearly dropped his baton as he gawped at it.

"I didn't even realise you had one of these!" He exclaimed. "Did you make this yourself too?"

"Sure did." Victor grinned, glad that he was freaking out like some people did. "After that, I spent a bit of time in a military hospital and grew fascinated with everything there. That's how I ended up here; turns out it pays to have a doctor who isn't fazed by the sight of violence like some are."

"That is seriously co-" Garfield went to say but there was a sudden noise from the other end of the corridor and they both froze still. There was nothing but silence as the seconds ticked by but something now felt different, like they were being watched.

"Vic…what's going on?" Garfield whispered sounding scared. Victor could catch how much he was trembling in his voice and it made him realise how new to all this he was.

"I don't know, just stay calm and-duck!" Victor suddenly slammed them both into the ground as a flash of blinding light suddenly flew down the corridor, narrowly missing them both as it hit the wall and caused another explosion. The walls around them quaked with the force of impact and Garfield cried out.

"It's them!"

"Hold on!" Victor forced himself upwards into a crouching position and readied his own weapon. "Cover your ears!" He yelled and Garfield was only just able to obey before there was another loud bang and blue light burned his eyes, making them feel like they had been looking straight at the sun when it had been right in front of his nose. As his vision settled back to normal he could just make out the five figures that were at the end of the corridor. They had created a defensive formation using some tables they appeared to have dragged from an empty room and were ducking behind it as they shot at them. Their faces were lit up by another blast from Victor and he gasped when he recognised them all. When he had first joined the force, the realisation of his boyhood dream, he had spent hours poring over every file the force had on every major criminal and each of the names of the five men they were fighting had come up frequently. Wycked, Billy Numerous, Seymour and Gizmo. The only ones missing from the line-up were Mammoth and Miss Jinx. That was a good thing, he suddenly thought. That means they haven't found her yet…

"Why are they coming from there?!" He heard Victor bellow as he was snapped back into their situation. "They must have really gotten lost! Can you see Dick or Kori?!"

"No but I can't see Miss Jinx either!" He called back. "That means they haven't found her yet!" There was another loud noise and he could see that they were advancing, shuffling the tables forwards inch by inch. "We can't let them get down the corridor!"

"They won't get down here on my watch!" Victor roared as the light show got more and more explosive. Garfield felt so useless; what could he do? He was just him.

Suddenly there was a shout and he watched in horror as Billy Numerous leapt over their barricade and started to run for them, deftly dodging the blue beams Victor shot at him. There was a wide grin on his face as he got closer.

"You losers are gonna wish you were never born…"

"Shut your face!" Garfield sat up and, without thinking, his instinct took over and he threw his baton at him with all of his might. It spiralled through the air and hit him square in the chest, knocking him to the ground and taking all the wind from his chest.

"Nice!" He heard Victor say behind him and he wanted to jump up and down with the excitement of it all. Then they heard the sound of scuffling and shouting coming from behind their barricade and the table pulsed like something had been slammed into it. There was a loud nasal call of "Retreat!" which followed by running and then quiet. Both him and Victor peered over, still with the cannon in front of them as Dick and Kori's heads popped up from around the corner.

"Friends!" Kori beamed delightedly as she ran over to them, Dick following her at a more measured pace but with his own smile. She squeezed them both in a huge hug that they were sure was going to leave bruises in the morning and when she finally freed them they noticed her cheeks were a lot pinker than normal and she seemed almost flustered. Victor gave Dick a look but Garfield shrugged it off as her being excited after the fight and he began gabbling excitedly.

"Oh my gosh Kori, you were amazing you saw them off like boom and bash!" He gestured wildly with punches and slaps like a hyper toddler and they all watched him almost indulgently. "And we totally saw them off! Victor was so cool with his gun thing and we didn't let them get down the corridor and now we've seen them off! We won!"

"You were pretty good too when you got rid of Billy," Victor said. "I'd be glad to have you at my back anytime."

"Yes I saw that too. Good work Gar." Dick added and Garfield's smile went as wide as a jack o lantern's as his eyes shone. Kori noticed how happy he looked and gave him another hug. She was so filled with joy that she didn't hear Garfield's muffled protests that he couldn't breathe and when she did let him go, he had to heave to catch his breath.

Dick went into the crime scene and gave it a quick look over but nothing had been touched. Letting out a sigh of relief, he looked over at the window at the approaching daylight and smiled even more brightly than before. It had certainly been a night to remember, he thought and he could feel his face go hot at the memory of the soft kisses he and Kori had exchanged. He had to make himself think of the case and how that had all gone so well for them. The HIVE Five had been forced to retreat without their leader, the crime scene was still perfect and the best thing was, Miss Jinx was still in the hotel. As the sunlight trickled into the room, he gave a satisfied nod. Now he could begin his plan to end the case once and for all. He heard the others talking outside and he realised with a start that Wally hadn't appeared despite behind in a room two doors down. He must have heard everything yet he hadn't come out. He frowned. He really was going to have words with him.


	7. Chapter 7

_Wow this chapter is finally done! How long has it been…? I don't even know. I'm so glad this is done and there's only one chapter left of this so hopefully that will be up soon. Please enjoy and review!_

As the sunlight lapped across the courtyard in a soft wave of gold, Wally frowned as he pressed his forehead to the glass of the window, his mind stuck. He had been mulling over the events of last night since the daylight had first started to appear and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see a way out of this. He knew Dick knew he had spent last night here and he could hardly pretend he hadn't heard the giant battle that had gone on outside. The HIVE Five had been chased away and he was relieved at that but they wouldn't be gone for long. Jinx had taken out her telephone, which he had been astonished by, and was waiting for it to ring but it hadn't yet, the silence stretching out like it was trying to torture them both. Every minute that passed felt like a weight on their shoulders and it was like they were each waiting to see when it would eventually break them.

He turned away from the window to look at Jinx and his face softened at the sight of her hunched body perched at the end of the bed, dressed in a long dark brown gown. She was staring at the silent phone in front of her, which now seemed to have an ominous presence of its own, with her hair falling messily around her shoulders and her face paler than usual. He could see her hands were trembling like they were being pulled at by invisible strings and it brought back the reality of what could have happened last night. She had been racked by a panic attack when the sounds of the explosions had grown closer and it had only gotten worse when they had heard the distinctive voices of her teammates among the chaos. She had been in such a state of fear that he had had to almost pin her to the bed to get her to calm down, whispering reassurances in her ear when he had felt on the verge of terror himself. They had spent the night in a state of constant fear as the fight outside had raged, holding each other like they were their last lifeline, listening out for the dreaded moment when silence would capture them and the door would open. Now that it had ended and that moment of discovery hadn't come, it had left a strange void that they had yet to address. The battle was over but the war was yet to come and their situation was as precarious as it could get. It felt to him like there was no way out for both of them and he hated how powerless he felt to stop it.

He pushed himself away from the window and sat himself down on the bed next to her. She didn't acknowledge him and he realised how tautly she was holding herself, her body unwilling to relax. He wriggled himself closer and raised a hand to brush some of her hair behind her ear. When that didn't get a reaction, a small smile appeared on his face as he was hit with an idea and he bent his head over to place a kiss on the side of her neck.

The soft touch made her jump and she nearly sprang away, her mind brought back from the depressing thoughts she had been thinking. "Wally get off!" She burst out, trying to get away from him but finding she was only feebly fighting against his hold. "Get off me right now!"

"Don't want to." His muffled reply came from within the depths of her hair as he took a great bunch of it in his hand and worked his way around her neck. He held her as her struggles grew weaker and kept planting soft pecks on her skin. He heard a sudden noise and drew his head up sharply only to see the spots on her cheeks had grown pinker and she was giggling like a little girl. The sound was strange coming from her mouth and she looked like she was trying to stop it but it was still music to his ears and it spurred him to carry on, moving from her neck up to her jawbone and her flushed cheeks.

"Wally, stop, that's so ticklish!" She almost begged him and he finally obliged her with a last lingering kiss on her lips that she responded warmly to. They were now lying back on the bed with their legs dangling off it and the sunlight creeping up the wall almost like a warning. She wriggled onto her side to look at his grinning face easier and her eyes narrowed playfully at him.

"What was that for?" She asked him, giving him a prod to his side.

"You looked upset," he answered honestly. "I wanted to cheer you up."

"I'm not sure anything could do that…" She said wistfully, looking back at the telephone and he saw her face fall. "We're in a real mess here, aren't we? This shouldn't have happened."

"But it did and I'm glad of it." Wally leant over until he was barely an inch from her, their warm breath mingling in the same space. All she could focus on were his blue eyes and how calming they were. Even when she had been in the deepest depths of her panic she had focused on them like they were an anchor holding her in the midst of a stormy sea and thy held the same power over her now. "We'll find a way out, trust me."

She smiled sadly as she looked at him. "It's not you I don't trust," She said. "It's the rest of the world. Your friends won't rest until I'm buried and you know that."

"Buried?" His head shot up and he looked at her alarmed. She sighed as she sat up to face him, straightening her skirts as she did so.

"Wally I killed a man with a chair leg not two days ago not to mention all the countless other things I've done over the years. If the authorities get their hands on me, they aren't going to let me go. There won't be any mercy for me."

"That isn't going to happen!" Wally felt like his blood had turned to ice as he looked at her perfectly calm features. The thought hadn't even entered his head but now it had lodged there it felt like a blade had been run through him. The image of her dancing at the end of a hangman's rope burned into his eyes and he had to forcibly grip her shoulders to steady himself. "We are both going to get out of this fine Jinx, I swear it!"

She shook her head slightly and put her hands on his arms. "Wally-"

At that moment, the telephone rang and they both jumped, staring at it as it's noise echoed around the room as they held each other tightly. He looked back down at her and saw her serene look had gone and was replaced with one of pure terror that she quickly masked when she saw him looking.

"You need to go." She told him firmly, pushing him towards the door. "You need to get back to your friends or they will be suspicious."

"What about you?" He asked, nervously looking at the ringing phone which was beginning to sound almost impatient.

"I'll be fine." A crafty smile appeared on her lips and determination sparked in her eyes; in that moment he could see why she had risen to the top so quickly. "I am Miss Jinx after all."

"That you are." He smiled and he pulled her in for a last desperate kiss. As he broke away, he quickly kissed the end of her nose before he dived for the door. He heard her giggle again before she took a deep breath and headed for the phone. The last shot of her he had was of her picking up the phone and the blur of an angry voice shouting from the other side. There was a part of him that really wanted to run back in there but he knew she could handle it. Whether he could handle the wrath of Dick Grayson was another matter.

He walked over to the door and spent a moment wondering if he should knock or just waltz in like nothing had happened but it ended up not mattering as the door suddenly swung open and before he could say or do anything, his back was against the wall and a furious-looking Dick was standing in front of him with his hands clenched around his throat.

"Are you really that much of an idiot?!" He roared as the other three came rushing out of the room to prevent another murder from taking place. "What were you doing, running off with that vixen whilst we were all fighting?! Are you that foolish Wally?!"

"Well good morning to you too Dick." Wally rubbed at his throat as Dick was pulled off him by Kori. He saw the way she was hugging him close to her as she whispered in his ear and couldn't help but smile cheekily. "Hey, what happened with you two? Damn, I can't believe I missed that."

"You missed the entire battle." Victor pointed out bluntly.

"Yeah it was awesome!" Garfield exclaimed but a look from Dick quelled his excitement instantly and he took a side step behind Victor. "And Dick and Kori-"

"That's not important right now! Seriously Wally, I can't believe you," Dick went on angrily as he rolled over Garfield's comment, barely able to look his friend in the eyes. "You were there all night and not once did you think to come out? How can you even come back after that? Spending the night with that…that…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Wally voice suddenly cut through coldly and they all flinched at the rapid change. "She's not the one who deserves your insults. I know I should have come out to help but she was scared, I couldn't leave her there alone. You have every right to be mad at me Dick but you don't have to be angry at her."

"Don't have to be-are you protecting her?" Dick glared at his friend before it seemed to dawn on him and he groaned loudly. "Oh God Wally please don't tell me you've fallen for her."

"So what if I have?" Wally looked at him concerned as he rubbed his eyes and he suddenly felt like he didn't want to know what he was about to hear. "I mean, you and Kori-"

"That has nothing to do with it, it's completely different." Dick snapped. His eyes focused back on Wally and he could see they looked just as pained as he felt. "That woman…she's not who you think she is."

"What do you mean? Dick, I know you don't approve and I understand but-"

"She's Miss Jinx." Dick had said it quietly but the power of his three words felt seismic. Wally had to press his hand against the wall behind him as he stared in shock. His eyes darted to stare at all of them and he could see the sympathy in their gazes. They knew, he thought, the realisation shaking him to his core. They all knew…

"No…" That was the first thing to come to his mind and the tiny word slipped from his lips before he could gather himself. "That can't be true…You must be wrong, I was there all night and I didn't see anything that would even hint that she was-"

"Wally, it's true," Dick told him firmly, putting his hand on his shoulder and gripping it like he was trying to force him to see sense. "I realised it yesterday. That piece of black lace…haven't you noticed she only seems to wear black? She only arrived the night after the murder, don't you find that a little odd? It's exactly the kind of thing she would do, just to gloat like the sick woman she is." He deeply sighed as he looked at his friend. "She's been deceiving you, my friend. Jane Hexelton is an illusion and nothing more."

Wally couldn't answer; it felt like the ground underneath his feet was about to cave in and it was taking all his might to keep standing and stop himself from bolting. I should have known he would work it out this quickly, he thought cursing. If I managed to, he definitely would have. This is a disaster, if they walk in now they will find her own the phone with the HIVE Five, she couldn't fight them all off…

"I know it's a lot to take in right now." He suddenly heard Victor's voice say soothingly as Dick let go and stood back from him. "It must be a shock. He was going to tell you last night but by that time you had already gone."

"Right…I guess I brought this all on myself." Somehow he managed to straighten up and talk normally even if the words tasted like poison on his tongue. He knew that the only chance he and Jinx had left was if he went along with them, even if it was just for a little bit longer. "When were you planning to move in?"

Dick raised his eyebrows at the sudden change of attitude but he went on regardless. "As soon as possible. I'm awaiting a call from the office so we're heading to the front desk for that. I can then present our findings and then we can arrest her once we have back-up sent. I know what she is capable of-I won't have her getting away this time. She will pay for her crimes Wally, just you wait."

"Good." Wally said firmly, trying his hardest to sound like he meant it. "You go on down, I'll catch up. I…I just need a minute."

Dick looked like he was about to insist when Kori gently put a hand on his arm and steered him away. "Of course friend Wally, please take as long as you need. This must have been a great shock." Dick looked like he was going to protest but Kori silenced him with a thinly-veiled threat of a smile and he quickly turned away. Wally had to smile. One night and she had him wrapped around her little finger. She was good. "We will see you later."

"Thanks Kori." Wally nodded and smiled at her as she led Dick down the corridor. Victor and Garfield each gave him a sympathetic pat on the back as they passed and he felt a twinge of guilt that he was being forced to lie to them all. They weren't trying to hurt him, they were just doing their jobs and he knew a few days ago he would have done the same.

The second they disappeared around the corner, he ran for Jinx's door and yanked it open. As he pushed it open and nearly sent it flying off its hinges, he saw Jinx slam the phone down and glare at it, every ounce of her fury directed at it.

"Urgh, I hate them so much!" She growled furiously before she looked up and saw Wally standing there. "Wally, what's wrong?" She said, feeling fear trickling down her insides when she saw how pale and waxy his face was. "What happened?"

"They know." He heaved out, closing the door behind him and walking over to her. "Dick figured it out, he knows you are Miss Jinx. He's known since last night…that's what he was going to tell me. Right now, he's waiting for a call…that's going to allow him to arrest you."

"What?" Her hands shot out and grabbed his arms and he held her up as the news sank in. He could feel how tightly she was gripping him and he pulled her closer, burying his nose in her hair. "How did they… This is bad, this is worse than I thought."

"Why?" He pulled his face away slightly and saw she was avoiding his eyes, keeping her face pressed against his chest. "Jinx, what happened on the phone?"

She let out a bark of laughter, a harsh bitter sound that sent a jolt through her frame. "They were just moaning at me that their failure last night was my fault for not giving them the room number. Then Seymour came on and he started saying something was off with me…it's so damn obvious, even they can sense it. I had a go at them, yelling that they should have used their brains and the only reason I was off was because I was stuck here but I don't think they bought it. I heard Gizmo muttering as I hung up…it sounds like they are onto me as well. He was saying he wasn't sure if I could be trusted anymore…" She clung closer to him and he could almost feel her racing heartbeat fall into sync with his own. "God, this is awful. I'm so tired of this."

"Tired of what?"

"I'm tired of this stupid cat and mouse game. I'm tired of constantly being hunted, I'm tiring of having to cover my tracks all the time, I'm tired of having to lead those idiots, I'm…tired of hurting people Wally." She pressed her face close to his chest so he could only just hear her muttering. "I'm tired of being Miss Jinx Wally. I don't want this life anymore, I don't want to be a freak but I'm stuck like this."

"You're not stuck like this," He told her. "Believe me Jinx, if I could think of a way out of this, we would be gone in a heartbeat but… I can't think of anything, damn it!"

"What if I told you there was a way out of this?" She suddenly said and he drew back a little to look at her in astonishment. Her face was marked with blurry tears but her mouth was firmly set as her eyes looked deeply into his. "I…didn't want to do this, this was meant to be a last resort and you won't like it at all but I have to."

"What is it?" He asked her, his eyes searching her face. "Jinx, tell me."

She hesitated before she questioned him. "Did you ever wonder what I did after I murdered Mumbo?"

He flinched at the word murdered but then looked confused as he shook his head and a thin smile appeared on her face. "I didn't think so. You detectives can be so narrow-minded at times."

"Jinx…" Wally said warily, already not liking the sound of this. "What did you do?"

She looked up at him and sighed before she spoke. "After I had…disposed of Mumbo, I knew I had to have some sort of safety measure, just in case anybody got close to thinking I was the one responsible. So that night, I went around the hotel and I hid some of these around the place." She went to her bag and rummaged around in it before she pulled out a small round silver device that reminded him of a cross between a doorknob and a pocket watch. There was a small section that was open and he could see the finely-tuned tangle of machinery like the inside of a clock. He reached out to touch it but she pulled it out of his reach. "These are Gizmo's latest little inventions; they look pretty harmless but they have enough power to send this place crumbling to the ground where it belongs." She put the thing back in her bag and looked back at him before her hand delved back in and pulled out an even smaller silver device that was just a simple square with a button on it. "I have the detonator here. I press this and the hotel falls and every piece of evidence they have to trace me will be gone with it." She sighed a little when she saw how he was staring at her. "I told you it was my last resort."

"Jinx are you crazy?" He said, his eyes wide as he stared at the device then back into her eyes. "You can't do this, think of how many people will be here! Do you want to be responsible for all those deaths?"

"There won't be any," She told him, her voice strikingly calm even though her hands were trembling. She reached around and picked up her parasol to try and steady them but it only seemed to make it more noticeable. "A place as big as this will take a few minutes to fall, plenty of time for people to run. Also there aren't that many guests here, you've surely seen the book at the front desk." When he bowed his head and didn't answer, she went over to him and put her hand to his cheek. "I know you are scared for your friends but you said they were at the front desk so they'll get out without any problems. Please Wally, this is the chance we need, our only chance to get away from this and be…not like this. I…I want you to come with me."

"And what if I refuse?" He lifted his head up only the smallest bit so his forehead was resting on hers. His voice was soft but it still felt like it was cutting through her. "What will you do then?"

She squeezed her eyes together tightly as she forced herself to push him away and turn around, her parasol clenched tightly in her fist. He made to take a step forwards went suddenly she whipped her arm around so the end of the parasol was pointing at his delicate flesh of his throat. She looked at him unwaveringly, her eyes hardened but her voice was teary. "Then I'll just have to knock you out." She said. "You'll wake up on the pavement outside next to the wreck this place will be. You'll then go make a report on what happened, say you tried to stop me or whatever, and then you'll go on with your life whilst I make a new one somewhere else and you will never need to see or hear of me again." The tip of the parasol edged a little closer and he could feel it's coolness on his skin. "This is going to happen Wally; I'm not going to be captured. This is your choice. I'm not going to force you."

She closed her eyes and silence engulfed the room, the air suddenly still as if it too was eagerly awaiting his response. Wally heaved a few breaths as he stared at the woman in front of him, a woman so desperate to be something new she was willing to destroy all she had been to do it. Raven's words echoed through his mind and he realised this had been the moment she had been thinking of. The moment where he had to choose between his life as a detective here in London or a life somewhere else with her. Slowly he raised his hand and drew the tip of the parasol away from his throat. He had made his choice.

She almost winced when she felt the movement of the parasol, letting him drag it away as she waited. She braced herself for the sound of him opening the door and leaving, knowing she wouldn't follow him, but instead she felt his arms loop around her waist and his mouth caught hers in a kiss that erased all doubt from her mind about what he wanted to do. Relieved, she almost sobbed into his mouth as she kissed him back hungrily, her parasol falling from her fingers as she used them to pull him even closer.

They broke apart breathlessly, still so close together it felt like nothing on Earth could have separated them. Pink eyes stared up into sapphire ones as Wally cracked a grin.

"You really think you're going anywhere without me now?" He laced his fingers with hers and kissed her wrists, his lips against her weaving veins. "I'm not leaving you now. Besides, I'm the one under your arrest."

Down at the front desk, Dick was getting more and more wound up with each second that passed. Not only had the promised back-up not arrived yet, even though they had promised to be there on the double, he was growing more and more uneasy about the fact that Wally still hadn't arrived. Both Victor and Garfield had volunteered to go and look for him but Kori had warned them not to, saying that giving him space was the best thing for him. He smiled at the way she was standing by the door, her sheer will keeping them from going and he felt a surge of love for her. It was almost a testament to their friendship how he and Wally had fallen in love on the same case but he didn't want to think about what his friend was going through. He was still mad at him but he was also beginning to pity him. He would have to take him out for a beer after this, he thought to himself as he tapped his hand irritably on the top of the phone. He suspected Wally would be glad to put this all behind him.

The tension in the room wasn't helped by the others, who kept quiet so they didn't disturb Dick. When Kori looked at the way he was hunching his shoulders and keeping his head low, all she wanted to do was go over and hug him but she knew he needed space just as much as Wally did and so she held herself back. Victor and Garfield sat next to each other but didn't speak in case Dick snapped at them but they exchanged looks. They too felt sorry for their friend but they also could work out how he hadn't seen it too when Dick had. Victor had seriously considered voicing this but seeing Dick in the state he was in, he decided to let it lie. Love can be blind after all, he thought as he leant back against the wall.

The hallway was surprisingly bustling that morning with people forming a long line to the desk to hand in their keys and sign out. The place was alive with chattering as people left and the single solitary man that was positioned behind the desk looked frantic.

"Wow," Garfield commented as he lazily watched the crowd beginning to file out. "I guess people didn't want to stay after last night, huh?"

"I guess so." Victor answered. "Would you if you heard that Miss Jinx had been staying here? Most people would run a mile."

"And it looks like they're doing so." Dick said, turning around to watch the hustle as he joined the conversation, not noticing how both Garfield and Victor jumped at the sound of his voice. "That's a good thing. It means there will be less distractions around when we eventually arrest her. God knows what she will do once she's cornered." He looked back at the phone and growled slightly. "They're supposed to be here right now, where are they all?"

"Relax Dick." Kori went up to him and just her standing next to him and taking his hand subtly seemed to calm his frayed nerves. "They will be here soon and this will all be over. Just think of this as more time for civilians to leave the area."

Dick smiled a little and squeezed her hand tightly. "Yeah, I guess you're ri-"

His sentence was cut short as a low rumbling erupted from the other side of the hotel that suddenly made everyone stop in their tracks. The hallway chatter fell silent as another rumble quickly followed, one that was much louder. The building lurched as a third, much louder and closer rumble rocked the whole room and people screamed as they were sent sprawling to the floor. The four of them crashed into the wall as they tried to steady themselves. Dick pulled Kori over to him and he felt her nails digging into his hand. He looked up and gasped in horror as he realised the rumblings were getting closer and giant cracks patterned like a spider's web were working their way across the walls and ceiling. The Academy Hotel was rolling like it was in an earthquake and it couldn't hold itself upright for much longer.

"Everyone get out!" He yelled at the top of his voice as people started to crawl towards the door. "The place is about to cave in!"

He hauled Kori to her feet and they ran for the door, pursued by Garfield and Victor who were pulling people along as the crowd fought to be free of the shaking hulk. They all spilled out into the bright sunshine and ran across the road. All the people in the streets had stopped to stare, their daily lives paused as they heard the hotel roar like a mighty beast as it started to fall apart. Dick ran with the crowd, not letting go of Kori's hand, but then he stopped in the middle of the road his face suddenly white as a ghost.

"Wally's still in there!" He shouted and she only just heard him over the chaos and noise of the people around them. He watched her face go equally bloodless and he let go of her hand to turn around but he was already too late. The building let out one last great rumble like a wounded animal before it collapsed. The walls fell in and a great cloud of dust sprang up, turning the world grey and gritty for a few moments as everyone shielded their eyes. When Dick finally looked back, the Academy Hotel had been reduced to a pile of rubble, large chunks of wall and furniture spilled out over the road like entrails with only a hollow bit of its structure boldly remaining. It was no more.

Dick fell to his knees as he stared at it. Behind him, the sound of whistles and sirens alerted to the street that back up had arrived and the mess would be taken care of but all he could focus on was the sight of the wreckage.

"No." He whispered, the word feeling like it was ripping his throat. "No…"

The fall of the Academy Hotel attracted great media attention with reporters flocking to the scene only moments later. Every survivor there was interviewed as the site was combed over for any sign of what might have caused it. Not one of those witnesses had any idea of what could have happened and none of them had also seen how moments before the first rumblings, a red-haired man in a long overcoat and a pink-haired woman dressed in black had left the building via the back entrance and went down a side street, taking only a moment to look back before they disappeared.


	8. Chapter 8

**Two Years Later**

Dick Grayson gritted his teeth as he swatted away more buzzing insects with his newspaper, sending the pages slicing through the air in his attempt to get them to leave him alone. Unfortunately for him, he was in a position that made him their perfect prey; he was sitting outside a bar at a small table with the still sticky warm air suffocating him and making him sweat, which the insects seemed to want to get at. The pint he had ordered was doing nothing to help him with the heat and it was nowhere near as good as the stuff at home. He sighed and gritted his teeth as one landed on his neck and he felt its sharp bite. If the business he was on wasn't so important or personal, this dusty American city would be the last place he would go. And yet here he was, he thought disgruntled as he shook out his newspaper and held it out in front of him, sitting with a lukewarm pint and an out-dated newspaper looking for a glimpse of an old friend who he had believed was dead. He must be crazy.

His eyes scanned the paper even though he had looked at it so many times since he had brought it, he could practically recite it line by line. The front page screamed about the fall of the Academy Hotel and it went on for a good number of pages inside; how it had mysteriously collapsed with no warning, about the attack that had taken place the night before by the HIVE Five, about the murder of Mumbo the Magnificent that had taken place just a few nights before. The article hinted that Miss Jinx may have had something to do with it but it didn't have any evidence. How could it, Dick had thought at the time, all their evidence had gone down with the hotel and Miss Jinx had disappeared, she hadn't surfaced since then. When he remembered that day, he still felt the same heartbreak go through him, the same emotions that had reduced him to a wreck when he believed Wally had perished in the collapse. He remembered how Kori and Victor had had to drag him away from the site and how for days afterwards, he had felt numb, his brain only able to focus on his guilt. If only I had forced him to come, he had lamented to himself in those dark hours, if I had made him come down to the hallway with us, he could have gotten out in time. I could have saved him.

Kori had been consumed with guilt as well but he hadn't blamed her; she had only been trying to do the right thing. She had helped him through those days, been the ray of sunshine when he felt at his worst and it had drawn them even closer than he thought possible. He looked down at his hand and smiled as the sunlight briefly caught the gold ring he had on the third finger of his left hand. He wondered what Kori was doing back home in England; she was probably chasing doggedly after another story knowing her. Being a witness to the fall of the hotel had allowed her to write some very heartfelt articles about it and now as a journalist, she was in high demand which Dick couldn't have been more proud of. She had wanted to come with him on this trip to discover the truth but she hadn't forced the issue of coming. They both knew this was something he had to do himself.

He flattened out the black and white pictures of the rubble of the hotel and stared at them intently with creases between his eyes. He had first been suspicious that his friend wasn't dead when afterwards, during the resulting investigation, he had been told the hotel had been brought down by a number of explosives, one of which had come from inside a carpet bag in the room where Wally and that woman had stayed the previous night during the attack of the HIVE Five. These suspicions had grown when he realised that the bombs had gone off at the time when the least amount of people had been there and that there had been no other casualties. When the wreckage was searched, the bodies of Wallace West and Jane Hexelton were nowhere to be found and that had only confirmed what he had suspected; Wally was alive and not only that, he had escaped with Miss Jinx.

At first the idea had seemed absurd to him. Why would Wally, one of the most promising detectives in the force with a glowing career ahead of him, choose to throw that all away for a criminal? He had wondered if maybe Wally had been kidnapped but then he realised that that made no sense either. After that he had been determined to find the truth. His personal investigation had been long and hard; not surprisingly Wally had covered his tracks well and he had all his other cases as well to deal with. It had taken him the best part of two years but it had finally lead him here, to a small yet still growing American town called Jump City.

It didn't feel like much of a city at the moment, he thought as he coughed at another layer of dust coating his throat. The place felt more like an overgrown town but even he could see the place had the potential to grow. Maybe that was why they came here, he pondered. Anyone could start afresh in a place like this, where everything was new and full of possibilities. He began to watch the quiet street in front of him and he thought of how things had changed back home. What was he going to tell him first? Well, him and Kori would probably be a good place to start. Kori was now living out her dream and he was rising fast among the ranks of the detectives, even the more senior ones now seemed to respect him and his mentor had never been prouder. Only a few months after the hotel fell, he had finally manged to arrest the entire gang of the HIVE Five whose criminal activities had grown a lot sloppier after their leader disappeared. They had been caught easily and were now all in jail. Victor was still working with the force in looking over their dead bodies and was now a leading figure in the advancement of prosthetics. Garfield too was steadily making a name for himself on the streets of London as one of the most reliable cops there and he had made a lot of headway with the community. Just last week, he had also announced his engagement to Raven Roth, who had continued to work with the police on his and Gar's recommendation, and the pair couldn't have been happier. He had become really close friends with all of them, Victor, Garfield, Raven…it was like they were a team now and London was under their protection. He smiled at the thought. The idea of a team did have a nice ring to it…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of talking and laughing and he held up his paper as two figures emerged from a building opposite labelled the sheriff's office. One of them was a tall man with a large brown moustache and a bulging brown suit who was almost bent over bellowing with laughter but Dick barely noticed him. His eyes were locked on the young man who was standing next to him and continuing to feed the other man more lines that were making him howl even louder. The man was undoubtedly Wally; he would have recognised him anywhere. Dick was stunned at how different he looked yet at the same time he still looked exactly the same. He still had the same mess of flaming red hair topped with a hat but the hat was now light brown and there was no longer that band of yellow and gold lightning bolt pin. He still had the same shining blue cherub eyes but they somehow looked more worldly-wise, like the person behind them had grown up a lot. He was still wearing a long flamboyant coat but like his hat it was plain brown like the suit underneath and his skin was also a few shades darker from the constant sun. Dick could hear his voice as it called across the street and it was still full of laughter but it was now laced with traces of an American accent, though he hadn't quite lost his London twang.

Dick lowered his paper just a little and tried to listen in. It seemed like Wally, in his typical fashion, was telling some sort of outlandish story.

"…and then, blam! The whole place just opened up and there he was, completely unable to move with all the whisky he drank!"

"No! Stop it Wallace!" The man cried out being fits of laughter, seeming unable to hold himself straight. "That can't possibly be true!"

"Believe me Sir, it's as true as I'm standing here." Wally grinned as he held up his hand like he was swearing an oath. This only sent the man over the edge as he let out another bark and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Wallace Weston, you are truly something else! I hope you don't bring those kind of stories home to your dear wife."

"Well, why don't you ask her?" Wally answered. His attention was now focused on something down the street and his eyes were shining as his mouth broke into a soppy smile. "She's just there."

Dick turned his head to see the woman Wally was looking at and he almost dropped his paper. Walking down the street towards the two of them was a pretty young woman in a long light blue dress with bright pink hair tied up in a bun and wide pink eyes that sparkled when she caught sight of him. Dick tried to conjure up an image of the woman he had only briefly seen at the hotel but he couldn't see much of a resemblance. Her skin which had been so pale was now very tanned and had lost its hint of grey. The hair she had hidden before under a wide hat and wig was now boldly on show and although some people were staring at it, she didn't seem to care. Looking at her, he could barely believe that she was the woman who had terrorised London for years but there was something else that had changed about her. Under the line of her dress, he could see how her stomach was curved into a neat bump that stuck out in front of her and the realisation of what that represented was enough to make him freeze in place. Although he hadn't wanted to believe it was true, there was the proof right in front of him-his friend had truly fallen for her.

Wally almost flew down the steps to greet her, pulling her into an embrace and stroking a hand over her stomach as he tenderly kissed her. She tightly hugged him back, completely unaware of the man standing behind them who was watching with a fond grin under his moustache.

"So you must be the young lady that Wallace here is head over heels for. Jenny, isn't it?" He greeted her when they remembered his presence and broke apart embarrassed. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last, he never stops talking about how beautiful his wife is and I must say, he sure ain't wrong."

"Oh really?" She said with a smile aimed at her husband. Her voice also sounded completely different; whilst Wally's was still hanging on to his London accent, her voice now had an easy American drawl that made her sound like she had lived there all her life. "You both are teasing me now, I feel like the size of a house and I probably look it."

"Nonsense, you look as beautiful as ever." Wally told her and it was obvious from his face that he believed it fully. His arm automatically went around her waist and she leaned into him, their bodies fitting easily like puzzle pieces. "Besides, you only have a few more months to wait and then you'll feel back to normal again. Then everything will be perfect."

"My, I can't believe you both are going to have a little one soon." The man smiled at the two of them. "It feels like only yesterday, you both turned up here and you came in asking for a job at the sheriff's office. It must have been very different from what you were used to."

"Yes…very." For a brief moment, a flicker of panic went across her face and she looked up anxiously at Wally who then stretched out his arms and took the opportunity to look at his pocket watch.

"Well would you look at the time, we must be heading home Sir, I wouldn't want to keep your missus waiting." He said whilst maintaining a charming smile. "I'll see you back here in the morning."

"You bet I will." The man, who Dick realised must have been the sheriff, said with a laugh as he began walking in the opposite way to Wally, who was leading Jinx down the street with his hand on the small of her back. "Goodnight young Wallace, Miss Jenny."

"Goodnight."

The pair of them walked down the street a little way, their bodies still close together, when Jinx suddenly stopped. "Hey, what's wrong?" Wally asked her softly, their heads so close together, Dick could barely hear them. He got up from the table and stood by the side of the road like he was waiting to cross but there was nothing to prevent him from doing so. "Is there something wrong with the baby?"

"No it's nothing like that," She said, her head still downcast. "It's just…do you ever regret leaving London? I can't forget you had so much, all that promise in your career and your friends… and yet you're now here. Don't you regret that?"

Wally looked at her in surprise before a thoughtful look came across his face. "I…guess I've never given it that much thought." He finally said. "I miss it, sure. I miss the city and how unique it was, I miss all my friends and how everything was…but I don't regret it. If I did, that means I would regret meeting you and all that's happened since." His hand trailed over her stomach again and that made her smile again. "Why, do you regret it?"

"Me? No chance!" She let out a bubble of laughter and he visibly relaxed. "Right now, I'm happier than I've ever been and that would never have happened if we hadn't left."

"There you go then." Wally beamed at her. "Now let's get home and stop thinking all these morbid thoughts about regrets in the past. We've got a whole new future lined up."

They started walking again and Dick stared after them. He's only a few metres away from their retreating backs, so close that he could just open his mouth and bring their newly-formed world crashing down. He has the power to shatter their new lives in his hands and he can feel it running through his veins. For a second, his mouth opens as if to shout but it closed again just as quickly. He then smiles, shakes his head a little almost sadly before he puts his hands in his pockets and starts to walk away, not looking back over his shoulder.

"Goodbye old friend." He said out loud to nobody in particular as he strode away, his newspaper tucked under his arm. What he didn't see was the redheaded man turning around and staring at his retreating back, his gaze lingering on him for a moment before he faced forwards again.

"Goodbye old friend," He whispers, looking down at the contented face of the woman he loves and resting his head on hers. "See you later."

 _Finally done! Wow that was a bittersweet ending but I hope you all liked it. If you are reading this, thank you so much for reading my story and thanks also to everyone who left a review/favourited, you guys make my day. Please leave a review to let me know what you thought and I'll see you next time!_


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